RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

1. RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Module 2: RCRA Overview, Part 3

2. Managing Solid WasteRCRA Subtitle D • Overview • Definition of Solid Waste • Municipal Solid Waste Reference: U.S. EPA. 2003. RCRA Orientation Manual. EPA530-R-02-016. Washington, D.C.

3. Definition of Solid Waste • Why should we be concerned with Solid Waste? • Is it more of a quantity or quality issue?

4. Definition of Solid Waste • Some History • 1965 – Solid Waste Disposal Act • Growing quantities of waste meant growing issues related to management • 1980s – increasing solid waste generation • What does that mean related to: • Landfill capacity • Disposal costs • Siting of new landfills • Cost effective solutions

5. Definition of Solid Waste • What does RCRA Subtitle D encourage? • Environmentally sound management • Maximize reuse • Maximize resource recovery • State and local government regulation • Sound facility design and operation • EPA to give guidance and technical assistance • EPA to provide tools • Incentives to promote solid waste management

6. Definition of Solid Waste • What is Solid Waste?

7. Definition of Solid Waste

8. Definition of Solid Waste

9. Definition of Solid Waste

10. Definition of Solid Waste Examples What is a slag? “Vitreous mass left as a residue by the smelting of metallic ore.” (AH Dictionary)

11. Definition of Solid Waste Importance of Professional Associations Source: http://www.nationalslagassoc.org/Slag_Information.html

12. Definition of Solid Waste Source: http://www.nationalslagassoc.org/Slag_Information.html

13. Definition of Solid Waste Hazardous waste is a subset of Solid waste - Subtitle C

14. Definition of Solid Waste • Does solid waste only include solids? What do you think based on the definition?

15. Definition of Solid Waste • The definition of solid waste is not limited to wastes that are physically solid. As noted above, many solid wastes are liquid, while others are semisolid or gaseous.

16. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? When wastewater enters a treatment facility, solids such as wood, paper, rags and plastic are removed by screens and taken away for disposal. Grit and sand are also removed so that pumps are not damaged throughout the treatment process.

17. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? Primary Treatment The resulting material is then passed through large settling tanks where much of the solid material sinks to the bottom. These solids eventually form part of the material referred to as 'biosolids'. Secondary Treatment The low-solids liquid material resulting from primary treatment is then directed to tanks where it subjected to either aerobic or anaerobic digestion by naturally occurring micro-organisms (bacteria). This process assists in breaking down the organic material and purifying the liquid material Here oxygen is being added for aerobic digestion. Secondary

18. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? When there is sufficient oxygen, the micro-organisms are able to use the organic materials as food for energy and reproduction. The oxygen-rich material is then retained for an extended period to allow digestion to take place. This is called extended aeration.

19. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? Solids and organic matter are then further removed using processes such as clarification (as seen here), settling lagoons, filtration or chemical treatment.

20. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? When treatment is completed there are two main by-products - partially purified wastewater and sludge. Sludge materials that meet quality standards are commonly referred to as biosolids. While most biosolids are applied on agricultural land as a liquid, some are dewatered. This picture shows one type of dewatering equipment.

21. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? Once treated, the purified wastewater is then released into the natural environment as a discharge into a nearby surface watercourse. The partially purified wastewater is then chlorinated to eliminate bacteria and viruses harmful to human health and the environment.

22. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? The resulting biosolids are loaded into trucks that will transport them to a storage facility or a land application site. This picture shows dewatered biosolids being loaded into an open-box truck.

23. How can a wastewater treatment facility create solid wastes? Example of a liquid biosolids storage tank Biosolids are then spread at an approved land application site

24. Municipal Solid Waste • Municipal solid waste is a subset of solid waste and is defined as: • durable goods (e.g., appliances, tires, batteries) • nondurable goods (e.g., newspapers, books, magazines) • containers and packaging • food wastes • yard trimmings • miscellaneous organic wastes from residential, commercial, and industrial nonprocess sources (see Figure II-1).

25. Municipal Solid Waste

26. Municipal Solid Waste • Past 40 years of Municipal Solid Waste • 1960 - 7% recycled • 2000 – 30% recycled

27. Municipal Solid Waste Source: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

28. Municipal Solid Waste Source: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm

29. Municipal Solid Waste • Past 40 years of Municipal Solid Waste • 1960 - 7% recycled • 2000 – 30% recycled

30. Municipal Solid Waste • EPA recommends using an integrated, hierarchical approach to waste management with four components: • source reduction, • recycling, • combustion, and • landfilling.

31. Municipal Solid Waste

32. Municipal Solid Waste • Source Reduction • Alternative to managing waste after generated • Change the way products are made and used in order to minimize waste generation • Also called waste prevention, is defined as the design, manufacture, and use of products in a way that reduces the quantity and toxicity of waste

33. Municipal Solid Waste • Businesses reduce packaging volume and toxicity • Alter business practices to reduce wastes (e.g., reuse • packaging for shipping, making double-sided copies, • maintaining equipment to extend its useful life, • using reusable envelopes).

34. Municipal Solid Waste

35. Municipal Solid Waste

36. Municipal Solid Waste

37. Municipal Solid Waste • Recycling • Separation and collection of wastes • Subsequent transformation or remanufacture into usable or marketable products or materials • Purchase of products made from recyclable materials

38. Municipal Solid Waste Source: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/recycle.htm

39. Municipal Solid Waste

40. Municipal Solid Waste

41. Municipal Solid Waste • Combustion (Incineration) • A controlled burning process to reduce waste volume • Combustors (Incinerators), when properly equipped, can convert water into steam to fuel heating systems or generate electricity.

42. Municipal Solid Waste • Controls • A variety of pollution control technologies reduce the toxic materials emitted in combustion smoke. • Scrubbers - a device that uses a liquid spray to neutralize acid gases in smoke • Filters remove tiny ash particles from the smoke • Burning waste at extremely high temperatures also destroys harmful chemical compounds and disease-causing bacteria • Regular testing ensures that residual ash is nonhazardous before being landfilled

43. Municipal Solid Waste

44. Municipal Solid Waste • Landfilling • Some waste still must be placed in landfills • Modern landfills are well-engineered facilities that are located, designed, operated, monitored, closed, cared for after closure, cleaned up when necessary, and financed to insure compliance with federal regulations. • The federal regulations were established to protect human health and the environment. • New landfills can collect potentially harmful landfill gas emissions and convert the gas into energy.

45. Municipal Solid Waste

46. Municipal Solid Waste

47. Municipal Solid Waste

48. Municipal Solid Waste