Landfills in The United States - Impact On People Near Landfills

Impact On People Near Landfills

Poorly constructed and operated landfills persist with leachate breaks, uncovered trash, and unchecked banned hazardous compounds. Federal laws to protect the public in Sec. 4001, Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) can be unenforceable by citizens without adequate legal funding. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) generally relies on the states to enforce their own operating permits and federal laws. If state agencies are not aggressive, violations can worsen, multiplying negative environmental impacts exponentially. There are some notable recorded violations in the U.S., such as for a landfill in Hawaii that was fined $2.8 million in 2006 for operating violations, but this is not common. In Harford County, MD, the county municipal landfill has consistently operated in violation of its operating permit with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for many years, as shown in citizen documentation and photos on a community Web site called Stop the Dump. In 2008, MDE officials found citizen documentation of poor conditions at the landfill to be credible and began steps toward a solution requiring legislation. Legislative solutions can be lengthy and may not necessarily guarantee state or federal enforcement.