APES- Chapter #29 Guided Reading
Botkin & Keller- Waste Management
Name: Melissa Salas
Chapter Objectives:
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the major methods that
constitute integrated waste management
 How the physical and hydrologic conditions at a site affect its suitability as a
landfill
 What multiple barriers for landfills are, and how landfill sites can be monitored
 Why management of hazardous chemical waste is one of our most serious
environmental concerns
 What the various methods are of managing hazardous chemical waste
 What the major pathways are by which hazardous waste from a disposal site can
enter the environment
 What problems are related to ocean dumping, and why these problems are likely
to persist for some time
Read: “Fresh Kills Landfill, New York City” on pg.625 and answer the following:
1: What is leachate?
*Leachate is water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the
constituents.
2: What are some things that need to be dealt with after a landfill closes?
*Some things that need to be dealt with after a landfill closes, is NIMBY, and industrial
ecology.
3: Describe the early method of waste management of “dilute and disperse”.
*An early method of waste management of “dilute and disperse” is volume of waste in
the U.S. Landfills.
4: Compare “dilute and disperse” to the contemporary method of “concentrate and
contain”.
*Both were early concepts of waste disposal.
5: What is “NIMBY”?
*NIMBY is: “Not in my back yard”. People want landfills, however not near them.
6: Describe how “industrial ecology” will be essential in the future.
*Industrial ecology will be essential in the future because they will link to natural
systems. Waste from one part of the system would be a resource for another part.
7: What is your opinion of “pay as you throw”? Defend your opinion
*My opinion on this, is that people should pay for throwing too much trash away because
that will encourage people to recycle.
8: Define Integrated Waste Management (IWM):
*Integrated waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,
managing and monitoring of waste materials.
9: What are the 3 R’s?
*The 3 R’s are: Reduce, reuse, & recycle.
10: How can human waste be re-used and recycled?
*It could be re-used & recycled by people recycling them, and by buying recycled items.
11: What are the goals of “materials management”?
*The goals are to have zero production of waste, use sustainable materials, and establish
“green buildings”.
12: How is the idea of materials management changing where industries are located?
*They’re being located in bigger places where they can increase the number of new jobs.
13: Which product comprises the largest percentage of waste dumped in the United
States? Is this surprising?
*It is paper. That’s surprising because I didn’t know that we used so much paper!? We
should recycle it!
14: What is the best way to dispose of infectious medical waste?
*The best way, is to take them to toxic disposal agencies.
15: Define Composting:
*Biochemical process in which organic materials decompose to a rich, soil-like material.
16: What are the pros and cons of incineration?
*Pros: Process can be used to supplement other fuels & generate electrical power.
*Cons: Pollution.
17: What are the problems associated with an open dump?
*The problems with open dump, is that it’s not covered up, with can release dangerous
toxins. There’s no protection with that.
18: What is a sanitary landfill?
*A sanitary landfill is designed to concentrate & contain refuse without creating a
nuisance or hazard to public health or safety.
19: How is a sanitary landfill selected? What things need to be considered?
*It has to be confined to the smallest practical area. (Small area & volume).
20: How can pollutants enter the environment from sanitary landfills?
*It enters the environment by polluting ground water or surface area.
21: What are the federal mandates for sanitary landfills?
*The federal mandates for sanitary landfills are:
*Complying with federal standards
Or
*EPA approval.
22: What are the sources of hazardous waste in the United States?
*The sources are marketing & chemicals.
23: Summarize the story of Love Canal.
*The Love Canal was when they stuffed trash in a canal, and it released a big amount of
toxins. It was a really big danger. A lot of people were exposed to big amounts of toxins.
25: What is a secure landfill?
*A secure landfill is a landfill for hazardous waste. It detects leaks, & collecys/treats the
leachate.
26: Define land application.
*Land application is an intention application of waste materials to surface soil.
27: Define biopersistence:
*Biopersistence is referred to as having low bio-persistent as they are designed to be
cleared from the lungs very quickly if they are inhaled.
28: Define microbial breakdown:
*Microbial breakdown is the intention of waste materials to surface soil.
29: Define surface impoundment.
*Surface impoundment is natural topographic depressions & human-made excavations.
30: What are some problems with deep-well disposal?
*Some problems with deep-well disposal is that waste is injected into permeable rock &
filed brine.
31: What is one of the biggest risks associated with land disposal methods?
*The biggest risk is pollution.
32: What are some solutions to land disposal of hazardous waste?
*Some solutions are recycling & resource recovering.
33: Describe the 1972 Ocean Dumping Act:
*It forbids the dumping of waste in oceans.
34: Describe the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping
of Wastes and Other Matters.
*This forbids pollution by dumping wastes and other matters to oceans.
35: What are some of the issues created by ocean dumping?
*Some issues created by ocean dumping, is pollution, killing marine animals, & damage.
36: Describe what is causing and what has been found in the Pacific Garbage Patch
(plastics in the ocean)
*The cause, is the dumping of garbage in the pacific, 7 what has been found, is garbage
& waste.
37: What are the steps of pollution prevention?
*The steps of pollution prevention, is recycling, reusing, & disposing materials properly.
Read: Can We Make Recycling a Financially Viable Industry?
Answer the following:
1: What can be done to assist recycling industries to become more cost-effective?
*What can be done, is buy more of their products & recycle.
2: What are some of the indirect benefits to society and the environment from
recycling?
*Some indirect benefits are:
*Cleaner air
*Cleaner environment
*Reusing
*Eco-friendly
3: Define or criticize the contention that if we really want to do something to improve
the environment through reduction of waste, we have to move beyond evaluating
benefits of recycling based simply on the fact that it may cost more than dumping waste
in a landfill.
*In order to reuse, and recycle, we must pay more money to get the business going, and
help less trash go to the landfills, and recycle & reuse more.
4: What are the recycling efforts in your community and university, and how could
improvements be made?
*The recycling efforts in my community is strong. Many people recycle & reuse. Some
improvements we could make, is conserve more water, & EVERYONE to recycle/ reuse,
and by recycled products.
Summary: Suppose you found that the home you had been living in for 15 years was
located over a buried waste disposal site. What would you do? What kinds of studies
could be done to evaluate the potential problems?
*I would search information, and investigate if there are any toxic wastes down there.
The kinds of studies that could be done to evaluate the potential problems, is make
studies, and take tests about what was down there, and if it is dangerous or not.