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Solid Waste Management
Many communities in
America are faced with a solid waste disposal problem. In 2007, we
generated 254 million tons of municipal solid waste, an increase of
24% since 1990. During this same time period, per capita waste
generation has increased only 3%, so much of the total increase is
due to a larger population. In fact, the per capita rate of waste
disposed of (as opposed to generated) has actually decreased
since 1990 by 23% due to improved waste recovery efforts.
The two primary types
of disposal practices are landfilling and municipal waste
combustion, or incineration, which may employ
conventional techniques or a "waste-to-energy"
approach.
LGEAN resources most
applicable to solid waste include:
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Solid
Waste. Provides a summary of issues including
national waste generation rates, landfill capacity problems, and
landfill and incinerator regulations. This resource also includes
links to numerous useful documents.
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Hazardous
Waste. Many local governments must deal with
hazardous wastes both as a hazardous generator and as the
responsible entity for protecting landfills and other municipal
solid waste collection/disposal operations from hazardous waste
disposal. Use this resource to learn more about federal and state
rules.
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Construction
and Demolition Debris. Provides an overview of C&D
debris issues and links to useful documents and tools.
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Groundwater.
Groundwater replenishes our streams, rivers, habitats and also
provides fresh water for irrigation, industry, and communities.
Provides EPA published Ground Water Rules (2006).
Additional resources
(exit LGEAN):
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EPA
Landfill page. Provides an overview of landfill
issues and numerous links to useful resources.
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Solid
Waste Resource Locator. The solid waste resource
locator contains links to state regulatory agencies/departments and
state regulations covering solid waste topics, including recycling.
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Construction
& Demolition Debris Resource Locator. Locate
regulatory information and other compliance assistance, lists of C&D
landfills, and pollution prevention resources for your state.
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Regulated
Medical Waste (RMW) Resource Locator. Learn how medical wastes are regulated in your state.
Link to the rules and compliance resources and locate persons you
can contact in your state agency for additional assistance.
LGEAN City
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