Until the 1970s, most solid waste was disposed of in open dumps, incinerated, or poured into rivers, lakes, or oceans. Dumps became a public nuisance and other methods of waste removal, such as incineration, produced air pollution as the volume of garbage increased. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 outlawed these methods of water disposal and set standards for sanitary landfills, which are the common sites of municipal waste disposal. RCRA requires that all hazardous wastes be accounted for from cradle to grave to prevent future threats to human health. Air pollution has long been a concern in cities due to coal burning. Strategies for reducing air pollution have focused on reducing emission from cars and from industrial sources. Air pollution can have global effects, including acid rain, changes in the ozone layer, and global warming.

For this assignment, please choose two (2) of the articles below and reflect on the financial challenges and options of disposing of solid and hazardous wastes. Discuss the following questions:

• What are the options for disposing of solid waste?
• What are the options for disposing of hazardous waste?
• What are the challenges of disposing of the major types of solid waste?
• What are the challenges of disposing of the major types of hazardous waste?
• What major health concerns are associated with these types of hazardous waste? Have some health problems become more prevalent as a result of waste disposal methods? If so, which ones? Explain your answer.
• In your opinion, do you think states should pay others to take their trash? Why or why not?

Articles:

• Public Health Assessments and Health Consultations: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/pha.asp?docid=615… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Health Effects of Residence Near Hazardous Waste Landfill Sites: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC163777… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Public Health, Safety, and the Environment: http://www.epa.gov/lmop/faq/public.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Landfills: https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/ecas/docs/ria/landfills_ria_proposed-nsps_2015-08.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.