Regulatory limits effecting geologic practice in municipal solid waste management under RCRA Subtitle D

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6791061

Simmerman, Jr, G H ^[1]

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1. ATEC Associates, Inc., Raleigh, NC (United States)

A federal mandate for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) regulation was promulgated on October 9, 1992 under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The self-implementing rule set minimum performance standards for State adoption governing the siting, design, operation, monitoring and closure of MSW landfills. Many of the standards impact the practice of the geologic community, particularly criteria for siting, site evaluation, ground water and landfill gas assessment and monitoring, site closure and remedial actions. The primary goal of Subtitle D is to protect human health and the environment by requiring sound solid waste disposal policy. As originally conceived, primary emphasis of the program was to limit future environmental liabilities by accelerating the technically sound closure of older, unlined MSW facilities and establishing modern, regionalized MSW disposal facilities on the best available sites and using the most modern engineering approaches and materials. However, these goals were compromised due to generalities required of a flexible national program and the reluctance of the states to institute solid waste regulations more stringent than the federal rule. Subtitle D as finally promulgated and adopted by most states is a disarticulated set of vague to specific permit criteria and minimum technical requirements.

• OSTI ID: 6791061
• Report Number(s): CONF-9404221--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 26:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
COMPLIANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
IMPLEMENTATION
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
REGULATIONS
RESOURCE RECOVERY ACTS
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT