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Land -use restrictions and closure dates may be placed on the facility com- <br />patible with the development of future uses for the site. This criterion <br />may be met in accordance with the authority granted counties or local units <br />of government to place restrictions and conditions on waste facilities. <br />ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS <br />Overview <br />Proposed solid waste facilities must be reviewed according to criteria that <br />provide for protection of public health and environmental resources. This <br />protection requires care in selecting a waste facility's location, aesign, <br />types of materials accepted, methods of operation and post -closure care. <br />Shifting to more waste reduction and resource recovery and less land disposal <br />will result in a net improvement to the region's environment as potentially <br />harmful wastes are captured for productive use. The volume reductions achieved <br />by recycling and waste processing can reduce the disposal capacity needed in <br />the region to a fraction of that required for landfilling of mixed municipal <br />waste. The more homogeneous, more stabilized character of processed waste <br />lowers the potential for adverse environmental impacts. The organic content in <br />the waste is minimized, virtually eliminating the potential for methane <br />production and dramatically narrowing the range of potential contaminants in <br />leachate. Nuisance impacts -- odor, noise, dust, litter and traffic - will be <br />less for properties adjacent to disposal facilities. This benefit coupled with <br />a lower level of environmental risk may lessen the potential for decrease in <br />the market values of adjacent properties. <br />Environmental concerns and protection strategies will differ depending on the <br />type of facility and the waste material received. Land disposal facilities <br />will require greater levels of protection for ground water resources compared <br />to processing facilities. If waste combustion is involved, air quality will <br />likely be the primary concern. As the region's solid waste management system <br />evolves towards more complete reduction and recovery, the residual materials <br />ultimately requiring land disposal will be less in volume and more homogeneous <br />in composition, helping to assure fewer environmental impacts. <br />Land Disposal Facilities <br />Solid waste land disposal has often led to surface and/or groundwater contami- <br />nation from leachate. The degree of reported contamination has ranged from a <br />slight degradation to severe contamination with substances such as heavy <br />metals, organic compounds and disease -producing organisms. Groundwater is <br />usually very slow moving and it can be years or decades before contaminated <br />water reaches those who use water supplies. Moreover, after the source of <br />contamination has been removed it may take decades for groundwater to purge <br />itself. The costs of remed;al action to actively improve the groundwater <br />supplies can be enormous. Surface water and groundwater can be protected by <br />landfilling residual materials only and then minimizing leachate formation and <br />its flow through proper site i,election, design, operations and maintenance. <br />There is growing evidence to .ndicate that the groundwater systems in the <br />region are interconnected, implying a greater need for protection. Several of <br />the hydrogeologic units are dissected by bedrock valleys buried with glacial <br />drift or alluvial soil deposits characterised by high groundwater flow rates. <br />These bedrock valleys provide a hydraulic connection between deeper sedimentary <br />W <br />