Resolving Landfill Problem - Coursework Example

Resolving Landfill Problem Summary This report has located 2 potential landfills for Sumter County which has the largest landfill in the world which is very hazardous. The paper has identified Ngamia 1 and Ngamia 2 as possible areas where new landfills can be built. These areas are far much isolated with minimal movements of animal and plant species hence the decision. The two possible landfill locations are close to each other hence reducing the cost of transport. Introduction Sumter County has the nation’s largest hazardous waste landfill. The landfill is located in 2185 East of South Carolina. Due to the location of the landfill in a rural, low income African-American, most environmentalists have taken this case as a basis for environmental racism. Environmental inequality usually rises when a community determines the rate at which it can pollute the environment without considering sustainable development measures. Attitude that is resistive to change in the environmental policies is considered by many to be anti-urban. Unfortunately the most sensitive issue of the environment as both the people with color, without color, flora and fauna depend on the Mother Nature’s environment has been ignored or made to look racist. This problem is mostly felt in the cities due to the large population dwelling in them. Due to this fact that with a large population there comes great responsibility that seems to be sadly ignored as the skies continue to turn black and brown in color. Efforts to change this by the environmentalists have been greatly side tracked by the issues of racial ideology that seems to be predominantly in the people minds. It is unfortunate that the color of the skin determines who make the policies and those to implement them in the American society. In order to improve cumulative assessment there are several factors that we must take into consideration. These factors include factors for us to achieve a sustainable urban planning. Hence, the community involvement is very important in determining the social, economic, and cultural parameters for any cumulative risk assessment. This will help us develop some more questions on the cumulative risk assessment and answer some questions. Currently the landfill contains class II landfill that deals with construction debris. It is believed that the construction of Ngamia 1 and Ngamia 2 is expected to increase revenue for the State as these landfills will be more spacious and huge. The county also proposes use of modern facilities in recycling the waste and ensuring sustainable development. Ngamia 1 and 2 locations have been bolstered by the approval of the USDA whom has found that those sites pose no threat to animal and plant species. It has also been noted that the two sites are very far from water sources which makes it more advantageous as no leakages to water bodies would be felt. Study plan Our study plan was divided into 3 sections. The first section included examination of the areas geology and the ability of Ngamia 1 and 2 to constrain leachate movements. Secondly we intend to examine the physical properties of the proposed Ngamia 1 and 2. Finally, we evaluate the financial and environmental sustainability of the 2 sites. Geological and Hydrological Feasibility Test As already hinted earlier closer look of Sumter county landfill indicate that no water bodies are any closer to the landfills. This is aimed at ensuring that toxic substances do not go back to the hydrological cycle. Moreover it was also discovered that the bedrock of Sumter County is majorly made up granite and gneiss rocks below 30 meters from the soil surface. More tests also gave a possibility of even wider thickness of the bedrock which was initially estimated to be of only 10 meters. In addition to this, as expected the soil has been experiencing repeated glaciations which are a positive indication that when debris would be buried there they are expected to undergo repeated decomposition aided by earth movements. Despite the fact that we do not require any possible water bodies around Ngamia 1 and Ngamia 2 sites have the possibility of piped water connections which may be important for recycling purposes especially when working with huge machinery. The 2 landfills are expected to be around 42 hectares strip of land each. They will be 50 km from the current landfill but the two landfills will be only 10 km apart. The cost o purchasing these two pieces of land is estimated to be $ 20,000. According to the budgeting committee the amount was a fair price considering that the land is bought for commercial purpose. The annual operating cost for Ngamia one is projected to be $100,000 which is slightly higher than the current landfill. It was expected that the cost would increase from current $52,000 due to the installation of new technology that is aimed at ensuring maximal protection of the environment for sustainable economic and environment development. The lifespan of this landfill is expected to be 100 years something which will be revised depending on the toxicity levels of the wastes it handles. Similarly Ngamia 2 which is located 10km east of Ngamia 1 was expected to be 42km but it is estimated to be around 35 hectares. Despite this, the location of Ngamia 2 is more suitable due to its ability to connect to the major roads leading to the city. This makes the location more accessible hence efficiency. The piece of land for Ngamia 2 would be slightly lower than that of Nagmia 1 due to reduced size. However, the cost of maintenance and operation annually is expected to be $80,000. The higher operating cost is due to type of waste which will be mainly biodegradable wastes. Despite the higher costs, the landfill is expected to produce higher profits compared to Ngamia 1 which will be receiving most of the non-biodegradable wastes. With the ability to rot and decompose it is expected that the landfill will convert this wastes into different classes of organic manure and sell which will be the major selling point. For the case of Ngamia 1, recycling of certain waste substances will be the key earning point. Environmental Risk One major problem facing Sumter County is the presence of many lakes. Below is the map of Sumter County which identifies the number of lakes in the County. With the possibility of the landfills operating for more than 100 years it is projected that by this time the leachates would have reached some of these water bodies despite the fact that the sites have been endorsed and given a green light as safe. Lake Panasoffkee and Lake Denham pose the environmental risk for these two landfills especially during the winter periods (Sumter County). This is because if a landfill is directly lying on a glacial esker then it is most likely that the leachates from the landfills will contaminate the most of ground water in the aquifers in the esker. If there is any hydrological connection between the aquifers stringer and stringer aquifers then higher possible contamination is also most likely to be seen. However, the two sites have been found to be very convenient in terms of accessibility and it projected life span with the good economic returns. Conclusion Ngamia 1 and Ngamia 2 are possible sites for good landfills. Despite the fear of leachate contamination of the two lakes the other environmental factors are very compact. For this reason we recommend that the government purchase the two pieces of land and begin operations for constructing the two landfills which have both economic development as well as environmental development. Recommendation Having looked at the feasibility test of the two landfills, we would recommend that the government go ahead and embrace this opportunity and purchase land for landfill Ngamia 1 and 2. This will also be a good chance to increase the County’s revenue as both of these projects are economically feasible. This will also provide a chance to get locate landfills away from urban centers. Works Cited Sumter County. Sumter County Landfill. 2 April 2014. 2014 . Read More