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Solid Waste

  1. Solid Waste
  2. There is a good overview of solid waste issues at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/general/orientat/rom2.pdf

    1. solid waste is both a commonsense concept and a legally defined category
    2. Unwanted or discarded solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material, including, but not limited to: demolition debris; material burned or otherwise processed at a resources recovery facility or incinerator; material processed at a recycling facility; and sludges or other residue from a water pollution abatement facility, water supply treatment plant or air pollution control facility
  3. Disposal
    1. Reduction & recycling
    2. Landfill
    3. Incineration and energy recovery
    4.  

      Fraction

      % H2O

      BTU/lb (dry wt.)

      Food Waste (garbage, grease)

      0.12

      60

      9,900

      Rubbish (paper, leaves, grass)

      0.64

      19

      7,600

      Noncombustibles (ashes, metal, glass)

      0.24

      5.7

      1,000

      (not listed: wastewater treatment plant sludge)

  4. Toxic Wastes
    1. Hazardous wastes came to the forefront of public attention with the passage of the RCRA in ‘76 and the Love Canal problem in ‘78
    2. management of HW involves certain processes or goals:
    3. the disposal of new HW is governed by the RCRA, but problems such as Love Canal are not; these are covered under the CERCLA ("Superfund") passed in 1980
    4. "Environmental tax" (taxes on the elements found in Superfund sites (Cl, S, etc))

      28 %

      Imported crude oil

      17 %

      Chemical feedstocks

      16 %

      General revenues

      14 %

      Domestic crude oil

      14 %

      Interest/cost recovery

      7 %

      Fuel tax (UST program)

      6 %

    5. Toxic Metals

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ANTHONY G BENOIT
ROOM 201B
(860) 885-2386

abenoit@trcc.commnet.edu