Environmental Science
Name: ______________________________
Waste
Goal: The student will describe how a modern landfill works and name two environmental problems caused by
landfills.
Vocabulary:
1. Landfill
2. Leachate
3. Methane
Chapter 12.2: Landfills
Solid Waste Management
• Most ____________________ goes to the landfill but some is incinerated and 25% is recycled
• In 1970, we recycled only _____________%
Landfills
• More than 50% of our waste ends up in a _____________________; modern day landfills are much
safer than the open __________________ of the past (obnoxious smells and breeding grounds for rats
and insects)
• Landfills are __________________________ waste disposal facilities; wastes are put in the ground and
________________________________ each day with a layer of soil, plastic or both.
• Function of a landfill: to _______________________ waste that is buried inside, to keep waste from
causing __________________________________ problems, and most importantly, for the waste inside
the landfill to come in _________________________ with the soil and groundwater that surrounds it.
Problems with Landfills
• _______________________ (water containing toxic chemicals; formed when water ______________
down through the garbage picking up the _____________________________ chemicals along the way)
continues to be a problem area for landfills; forms when water seeps down through a landfill combines
with the dissolved __________________________ from decomposing garbage (ex: paints, pesticides,
cleaners, cans, batteries appliances)
• Landfills typically have ______________________ wells and storage tanks to measure and store
leachate which can then be treated as waste water. However, if ________ monitored well, leachate can
flow into _________________________ supplies making area water ________________ to drink
•
•
_______________________ is another problem. Organic waste decomposes (without oxygen)
producing methane, a ________________________ flammable gas
Methane is usually pumped out of landfills and used as ____________________. However, if it is not
monitored safely, it can seep through the ground and into _________________________ of homes up to
300 meters from a landfill, causing dangerous ____________________________ if ignited by a spark
Safeguarding Landfills
• The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (passed in 1976, updated in 1984) requires that new
landfills have to be built with _____________________________ to reduce pollution problems; must be
lined, have systems to ______________________ leachate and vent pipes to carry methane ________ of
the landfill (released into air or captured and burned to produce ___________________________)
• Adding these safeguards _____________________ the cost of building them and finding acceptable
places to _____________________ them is difficult; must be _____________ to the city producing the
waste but ________________enough away from the residents
• Any solution is likely to be expensive: legal fees to ____________________ local residents’ objections
or cost of ____________________________ garbage to distant sites
Building More Landfills
• We can build __________________ landfills, but we are currently running out of _______________ we
are willing to develop for the new landfills
• Materials are _______________ decomposing as fast as we can fill landfills; biodegradable materials
(ex: newspaper) takes several ___________________ to decompose
• Total number of ____________________ landfills in US in 1988 was 8000; by 1999, the total number
___________________________ by 2300 because they had been filled to capacity
• Most existing landfills are scheduled to fill up and close within the next __________ years; EPA
estimates 20 states will be out of ________________________ for additional landfills
Lesson Reflection:
 Use page 307 to help you complete the handout Sanitary Landfill.
Assessment:
1. Describe how a modern landfill works.
2. List two environmental problems that can be caused by landfills.
Lesson Extension (Technology/Application/Connection to Real World):