Research Paper on:
Overview of Landfills

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
(Rifkin 54) I. INTRODUCTION Garbage is a significant concern in contemporary society, inasmuch as the global population continues to rise, people have become more wasteful and the products of  modern convenience - such as plastics and Styrofoam - have rendered the earth a dumping ground for nonbiodegradable refuse. As such, the manner by which communities choose to address  their garbage issues is of great importance to the long-term safety of the general populace. Issues concerning landfills and potential contamination are constant and severe; if such refuse receptacles  are not properly lined and contained, environmental dangers are bound to occur. II. LINERS More than eighty-five percent of all garbage collected in the United States will ultimately end  up in a landfill (Garbage), a remote location where communities pile their trash until the repository can hold no more; at that point, another landfill is created so more garbage  can be dumped out of sight. However, there is significantly more to the art of landfill construction and maintenance than most people ever realize; without regular and adequate upkeep,  a landfill can turn into a toxic environmental disaster. "For two-thirds of the nations landfills, (those without liners), its the products which degrade that pose a potential environmental threat.  Degradation can lead to leaching, as chemicals reach the water supply and cause a health threat to fish, wildlife and humans. The other one-third of landfills are completely  sealed and allow very little degradation" (A Consumers Guide To Environmental Myths and Realities). The first thing that communities need to address with regard to avoiding such undesirable situations  is the type of liner necessary for proper landfill use. Leaching is likely the most important issue with regard to landfills; that water seeps down into the landfill and draws