Landfill+Background+Check

Working with your team, answer the following questions as you make your way through the different parts of the webpage.A printable handout may be downloaded and printed. The link to the webpage and word document is found at the end of this page.

__**How Landfills Work**__

How much trash do Americans produce per day (per person)?

Where does the majority of your trash go?

__**How Much Trash is Generated?**__

How much trash was generated in the US in 2006?

What percentage of this trash was recycled?

__**How is trash disposed?**__

What percentage of trash is disposed of in landfills?

__**What is a landfill?**__

What is the difference between a dump and a landfill?

What is the difference between a sanitary landfill and a MSW landfill?

What is the purpose of a landfill?

**__Proposing the Landfill__**

What are five things the government will look at when conducting an environmental impact study?

What features of soil and bedrock are important when proposing a site for a landfill?

__**Parts of a Landfill**__

What is the purpose of the “bottom liner system” in landfills?

What are two ways to keep a landfill as dry as possible (see storm water drainage)?

What does the leachate collection system do?

What is leachate?

Why must the landfill be covered?

__**What Happens to Trash in a Landfill**__

Why doesn’t trash break down in a landfill?

How long must the land and water be monitored around a landfill after it closes?