The world is a mess. Human activities over the last several centuries have created a drastic problem. Industry, manufacturing, mining, agriculture, and human consumption all produce waste. All industrial, commercial, and residential by-products must be dealt with in some manner.
Ancient peoples were rather casual about the notion of garbage, tossing it aside wherever they went. It was not until the 4th century BCE that the Greeks drafted the first sanitation laws. Unfortunately, these laws were merely half-measures. Instead of leaving their refuse on the ground, early cities began to dump it in communal pits outside of town; sometimes even setting it ablaze. This practice remained little changed until the 20th century, when it became …show more content…
Once the site has been excavated, a water-tight liner is installed on the bottom of the landfill in order to prevent contaminated waste from leaking into the ground and contaminating the local water supply. A typical liner is made from hard clay, plastic, or composite materials. Similar covers are used to keep rainwater from penetrating the site and to prevent wind from displacing refuse (Pellerano, 2003). A municipal landfill reaches capacity after approximately 35 years (Willis, 2009). After a site is closed, its contents will continue to settle for many years until the land becomes stable. When the land has stabilized, some landfills can be re-utilized as parks, playgrounds, or other facilities (Q & A 's about landfills, 2013). Because of the staggering volume of MSW stored at the site, many larger landfills require regular monitoring for potential long-term air and water pollution. For example, the state of Wisconsin gathers air and water data from over 600 waste management sites (Wisconsin DNR, …show more content…
Given the unincorporated nature of Times Beach, there were no funds available for paving the 23 kilometers of city streets (Yvette, 1988). In an effort to manage the dust accumulation, the city hired Bliss to spray the roads. In an effort to cut costs, Bliss purchased waste chemicals from Independent Petrochemical Corp., a supplier to the now defunct Northeastern Pharmaceutical & Chemical Company (Garmon, 1983). Bliss mixed the toxic chemicals with waste oil and used the mixture to treat the roads, which he did for five summers between 1971 and 1976 (Yvette,
Ancient peoples were rather casual about the notion of garbage, tossing it aside wherever they went. It was not until the 4th century BCE that the Greeks drafted the first sanitation laws. Unfortunately, these laws were merely half-measures. Instead of leaving their refuse on the ground, early cities began to dump it in communal pits outside of town; sometimes even setting it ablaze. This practice remained little changed until the 20th century, when it became …show more content…
Once the site has been excavated, a water-tight liner is installed on the bottom of the landfill in order to prevent contaminated waste from leaking into the ground and contaminating the local water supply. A typical liner is made from hard clay, plastic, or composite materials. Similar covers are used to keep rainwater from penetrating the site and to prevent wind from displacing refuse (Pellerano, 2003). A municipal landfill reaches capacity after approximately 35 years (Willis, 2009). After a site is closed, its contents will continue to settle for many years until the land becomes stable. When the land has stabilized, some landfills can be re-utilized as parks, playgrounds, or other facilities (Q & A 's about landfills, 2013). Because of the staggering volume of MSW stored at the site, many larger landfills require regular monitoring for potential long-term air and water pollution. For example, the state of Wisconsin gathers air and water data from over 600 waste management sites (Wisconsin DNR, …show more content…
Given the unincorporated nature of Times Beach, there were no funds available for paving the 23 kilometers of city streets (Yvette, 1988). In an effort to manage the dust accumulation, the city hired Bliss to spray the roads. In an effort to cut costs, Bliss purchased waste chemicals from Independent Petrochemical Corp., a supplier to the now defunct Northeastern Pharmaceutical & Chemical Company (Garmon, 1983). Bliss mixed the toxic chemicals with waste oil and used the mixture to treat the roads, which he did for five summers between 1971 and 1976 (Yvette,