SRDC Series #174

A Guidebook for Rural Solid Waste Management-Abstract
June 1993

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Environmental and public health concerns in the U.S. have resulted in Federal and State legislation concerning solid waste. The most recent Federal action by the Environmental Protection Agency was the adoption of Subtitle "D", which will have a major impact on how landfills must be designed, operated, and closed. Also, many states have adopted legislation mandating waste reduction to extend the life of their landfills. Government officials responsible for solid waste collection and disposal, particularly in rural Oklahoma and Mississippi, have limited resources at their disposal to meet these requirements. Consequently, rural government officials and community leaders will benefit from a knowledge of the solid waste collection and disposal alternatives that may be available to them.

It is estimated that an average American disposes of nearly one ton of solid waste a year. Clearly, collecting and disposing of that volume of material is a major problem. This is especially true in rural areas where collection and disposal is most often left up to the individual household. A result is often illegal rural roadside dumps which create environmental and health hazards.

Disposal of solid waste after it is collected is, and will become, an even bigger problem in rural areas. Most small community landfills will not be able to meet stringent Subtitle "D" requirements for new landfills. This will lead to the establishment of large regional landfills. Local decision makers will need to investigate solid waste management alternatives that will be economically feasible given certain local physical and political conditions.