Landfill

( Article Type: Explanation )

A landfill site is a formally registered dumpsite for what is mainly domestic or industrial waste. The site will be classified as being general, low-hazardous waste or high hazardous waste.

Most municipal sites are, at best, classified as low hazardous waste. New sites are carefully planned and are usually lined with a double liner to help detect and prevent leaks. Many older municipal sites are not registered and were not really planned to prevent leachate from going down through the dump and out into nearby streams or watercourses. They are, therefore, potentially hazardous from a pollution point of view, and the authorities are trying to close them down as quickly as they can.

Most low-level industrial waste is sent to low-hazard sites but managers should strive to send as little waste to landfills as possible.

The law says that the waste generator and the disposer (contractor) are jointly responsible for the load. This means that the generator never relinquishes the responsibility.