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LAND DISPOSAL RESEARCH NEEDS - A FORWARD ORIENTED REVIEW
Citation:
Loehr, R C., D. E. Daniel, AND D. R. Ramsey. LAND DISPOSAL RESEARCH NEEDS - A FORWARD ORIENTED REVIEW. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-90/045, 1990.
Impact/Purpose:
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Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been a leader in evaluating and developing land disposal methods that will protect human Health and the environment and in providing technical guidance to regulatory agency personnel, practicing engineers, and the public on these issues. This review focused on the use of landfills, surface impoundments, and waste piles for disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous wastes. The objectives were to: (a) summarize the research activities that have been supported by the EPA Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) on these land disposal methods to identify what has been done, the resources used, and the information transmitted; (b) evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the land disposal research that has been done in terms of the extent to which the research results have improved these disposal options, provided improved protection of the environment, and reduced long-term costs associated with management of solid waste; and (c) identify the important questions still unanswered and the existing needs that may be met by results from additional land disposal research. The evaluation indicated that there continues to be a need for a strong land disposal research program in EPA. The major components of an EPA core land disposal research program should be: waste characterization, land dijsposal facility performance, risk evaluation and risk reduction options, cost evaluations, and technology transfer.