[Pharmwaste] pharms & landfills

[Gilliam, Allen]

http://www.nwqmc.org/98proceedings/Papers/61-lee.htm is a paper which
indicates leakage from even a properly built and monitored landfill's
might go un-noticed with its "ultimate" liner failure (great, possibly
appropriate "Pinocchio" diagram included).  Maybe an epa funded study
should be conducted on folks (using groundwater as their potable water
source) downgradient of some "engineered" landfills?

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/timeline_alt.htm#3 can't get
you back to "1776" but, provides a brief background since 1900.
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm also will give you
(not) much historical info.

As someone state previously, incineration may be the only plausible
"resting place" for pharms (yes, Dr. Gressitt, we DO need a
"lobbyist"!).

Back to pretreatment.....

Allen g

http://www.nwqmc.org/98proceedings/Papers/61-lee.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: gressitt [mailto:gressitt at uninets.net] 
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 5:53 PM
To: Gilliam, Allen; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Cc: 'Kent D Becher'; dwkolpin at usgs.gov;
daughton.christian at epamail.epa.gov; wbattagl at usgs.gov
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Endocrine disruptors & "What to do with unused
medicine"


For us non-hazardous waste astute or rather informed, Could someone
please help me understand what the global situation is re landfills.
Specifically, how many out "there" are not up to any standard, with what
volume dating back to say 1776 for thoroughness sake, and how many are
accepting material today that do not meet requirements. Do all landfills
in operation today have liners? Hard for me to believe that every
village can afford that, but I ask to be educated. 
With Kolpin's article firmly in mind, it seems to me there might be a
great vast bubbling landfill problem that probably has not had enough
valium discarded into them to calm the problem. But perhaps too much to
make me comfortable and frankly more than a tad queasy. 

Stevan Gressitt, M.D.