How does a sanitary landfill differ from an open dump? What will ...

[Diane]

How does a sanitary landfill differ from an open dump? What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What is the main concern of legislation such as RCRA that is embodied in the approach used in
  sanitary landfills? What will be an ideal response?

[Anna]

Answer to Question 1

In a sanitary landfill, each day's trash is sealed under a layer of soil, which, it is hoped, isolates it from
the rest of the environment. Heavy equipment is used to spread the trash and compact it in thin layers.
Also, when the landfill is complete, it is sealed under a 50-centimeter thick layer of soil, which is
graded in such a way as to promote surface drainage away from the fill. The basic idea is to prevent
infiltration, which may lead to leaching within the fill mass.

Answer to Question 2

A sanitary landfill is an isolation method designed to contain liquids that would otherwise pollute
ground and surface water resources.

[Diane]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[steff9894]

Excellent