Several articles have run in recent editions of the Finger Lakes Times concerning landfills. In this month’s “Alternate Energy,” I want to discuss landfills, incineration, recycling, energy, education and community responsibility.
America does not seem concerned about anything until it is too late. We just witnessed this with the accident of the cargo ship hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. Now there are pressing concerns about public safety and national security. Ships have been getting larger and faster every year. Global container shipping has increased 43% from 2011 to 2021. An accident like this seemed inevitable, but only now it is an issue.
We will see the same thing happening with landfills. That is, nothing happens for decades then all of a sudden there is a rise in birth defects and cancer. The tested water will show toxins in the drinking water.
Landfills, we are told, are safe and durable. As an engineer I strongly disagree. The liners, which we are told will permanently contain the contaminates, will eventually fail. In areas where flooding occurs, they fail sooner and with great consequences. This happened at the Payatas landfill in the Philippines in 2000 where a massive waste landslide occurred that killed 200 people after a heavy rain.
Even without natural disasters, these liners do not last forever. Over time all liners eventually distort, become misaligned, crack and tear.
Methane and leachate are two byproducts of landfills. Methane is produced from the decay of organic material and if not trapped, is released to the atmosphere. Some landfill sites burn the methane; others channel it to produce heat and electricity. However, over time water mixes with soluble and insoluble products such as paint, various salts, chemical solvents, etc. and eventually these concentrate at the bottom of the liner. Eventually this accumulation by weight will stress and distort the original shape of the liner.
If you have ever farmed a plot of land here in upstate New York, you know you will discover a treasure trove of rocks. Every year, like bad pennies, they keep coming back. This is nature’s rock garden perennial and a harvest every year. This natural rock garden is due to the freeze-thaw conditions that cause the rocks to move generally up.
This comes friction, wear and the inevitable puncture of the liners used in landfills. Couple this with the ever increasing pressure from the accumulation of leachate and the methane pressing against all inside areas of the liners top and bottom on the other side of the liner is a recipe for disaster. In all landfills the rain will eventually seep past the best of caps and liners.
At this time there are no federal laws concerning e-waste.
Landfills in the US currently takes up 1.8 million acres — enough land to place solar panels that could provide an estimated 8% of all the U.S. energy needs per year.
So why landfills?
They are cheap and highly profitable. Waste management companies were the only “environmental” companies that received favorable treatment from the Trump administration. Under his administration environmental regulations concerning waste were minimized or eliminated, thus increasing profits while reducing their responsibilities.
Incinerators have their cons such as high start-up costs, air pollution, impact on recycling, toxic ash production and community opposition. On the plus side, far less land is used. Energy can be produced in the form of heat and electricity therefore decreasing greenhouse emissions. Incineration can reduce hazardous wastes if properly done. Waste handling is reduced.
We don’t need to re-invent the wheel.
Sweden and Denmark are the heroes in waste management. It would be wise to look into how the country makes money importing waste. Sweden has a very high rate of recycling. It produces enough energy from trash as nearly three nuclear plants every year. Sweden, a socialist country, mandates recycling. Sorting kiosks are located virtually every where. And it also mandates recycling education to its kindergartners.
Forty-eight percent of household waste is recycled. Tires are turned into astro turf, lead is taken out of car batteries and resold, plastic is melted to make plastic sheets for construction.
E-waste is another major concern. Computer sales stores are required to take any old computer and offer a discount on the purchase of a new one. The government encourages the repair of e-equipment, shoes, bicycles, etc.
The rest goes to incinerators.
I wrote a previous piece about the amazing Amager Bakke or Amager Slope waste-to-energy combined heat and electric power plant in downtown Copenhagen. It’s an ingenious way to produce energy and reduce costs. Check it out in the FLT files or google it.
Socialism has taken on a bad connotation in particular by those on the right. Perhaps it is because it was used in the title of the former Soviet Union of Socialistic Republics. Socialism is alive and well here in the United States, however. We take care of our disadvantaged, roads, public schools, our military etc. We also take care of our corporations like we did for Halliburton during the Bush administration as well as lodging for our international guests, the same lodging owned by the former President himself.
Capitalism has been touted as making America great. It spawned innovation. Innovation did make America great. Capitalism, however, by its very design incorporates a pyramid scheme which is now coming full circle. Capitalism requires waste to keep going. It can’t exist with out it.
Socialism today is better defined as “Community Cooperation.” The citizens of Sweden take responsibility. A responsibility that becomes an accepted and appreciated law. Swedes see recycling and handling waste a necessary part of everyday life which is why they teach recycling in kindergarten.
While right side America struggles to impose restraints on those of a different sexual preference and impose their brand of religion upon all Americans, they find recycling and conservation of energy a tyrannical imposition. As if it is our God-given right to waste resources and severely compromise the environment.
Incineration is the best option for the future of the Finger Lakes region. We have become Mount Trashmore. How long will it be until the leachate reaches our beloved lakes? According to the website www.statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, Western New York currently ranks highest (districts 23 and 24) on the list with four of the top six regions with the highest cancer rates; Fulton and Albany claim the other two. GE was the dominate employer there in the good old days. Our region was No. 5 out of 62 counties. Are you following this, Congresswoman Tenney, or are you too busy getting press time on Fox News?
It would be a pipe dream if we could make education on recycling and energy stewardship a requirement in this country. However, that would be construed as a infringement of our rights by some groups.
What’s this got to do with energy?
In a word plenty. The proper as well as the ethical handling of trash has great rewards in the conservation of energy.
Jim Bobreski of Penn Yan is a process control engineer in power production for 43 years. He also is the author of “Alternate Energy and Climate Change in the Age of Trump,” available at Longs’ Bookstore in Penn Yan and on Amazon.com.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
visit website
