Solid and Hazardous Waste ENVR 865 AND ENVR 410 Winter, 2000

Course Overview:

Solid waste disposal is an issue faced by virtually every community in the developed world, and is one of the most controversial. Siting of waste disposal facilities, developing systems for resource recovery, and finding ways to reduce the amount of waste that society produces each require an understanding of the political realities of modern life as well as the technical skill to produce sound engineering designs.

This course will provide students with an overview of current approaches to solid waste management, and will provide the framework for students to expand their knowledge as professionals in the field. The first half of the course will cover strategic issues, such as regulatory constraints and the development of solid waste management plans. We will also discuss collection and transfer, which are often the most expensive components of a solid waste management system. Recycling and composting are also introduced, as well. During the second half of the course, discussion centers on the two most widely used disposal technologies, incineration and landfilling. Approaches to handling of special wastes such as household hazardous wastes and "white goods" (old appliances) are reviewed here, as well.

Although hazardous waste management is not the primary focus of this course, students will see that many of the issues associated with solid waste management are also directly applicable to hazardous waste management, as well. Containment technologies, groundwater monitoring techniques, waste combustion systems, and regulatory principles are all topics where solid waste management and hazardous waste management share common foundations. The topics covered in this course are therefore intended to be complementary to those introduced elsewhere in the curriculum, and in particular to those found in courses on industrial hygiene and environmental remediation.

Grading:

There will be one mid-term exam as well as a comprehensive final. Students will also prepare a research report as discussed below. Homework may be assigned at the instructor's discretion, and students will also be judged based on their level of participation in the class.

Because this course is offered to both graduate and undergraduate students, it is anticipated that participants will have varying levels of prior experience and training when they enter the classroom. Accordingly, those registered for graduate credit will be held to a higher standard than those taking the course for undergraduate credit. All students will complete the same activities, and will be graded on the same scales, but adjustments may be made at the instructor's discretion in assigning final grades for the course.

Performance will be weighted as follows:

Term Paper:

All students will complete a term paper. The paper should be between 10 and 15 pages in length, and may cover topics of a technical, economic, social, political, historical, legal or other relevant nature. Examples might include

• a review of a new or current technology, such as slurry walls, composting, biofiltration or leachate recirculation
• an examination of the siting issues associated with new or expanding solid waste disposal facilities in the Delaware Valley,
• a survey of innovative regulatory approaches used by different municipalities, states or nations in the management of solid or hazardous waste (e.g. comparison of EU and US approaches to solid waste management),
• the political implications of the Carbone decision on waste disposal facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region. (In the Carbone decision, the U.S. Supreme Court found that municipalities could not force waste haulers to bring waste to their facilities, thereby undermining the ability of municipalities to recover investments associated with waste management strategies.)
• the implications of New York City's decision to close the world's largest landfill, the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, NY.

Because of the wide latitude given in choosing a topic for this paper, the topic must be submitted and approved by the instructor. Students are required to submit their preferred topic to the instructor before class on February 10 (the 6th week of class). The topic may be submitted on paper or by email. The deadline for submission of the completed report is during the final lecture, on March 9. Reports must be typed, double spaced, using black ink on white paper. (Images may be color if preferred.) Students may wish to confer with the instructor outside of class for further guidance.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
SOLID WASTE/SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTE
ENVR 865 Section 502/ENVR 410
Winter, 2000

Textbook: Principles of Integrated Solid Waste Management, by H. Lanier Hickman, Jr., American Academy of Environmental Engineers, 1999, 660 pp., ISBN 1-883767-26-1