WSP00632

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - EPA
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 9/1/1971
• Author: EPA
• Title: The Environmental Protection Agency
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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W hilt.' accollrlling for only 7 pal'l'nt uf Ih..:
worlJ's roplll;uillll. Arn..:rit,:ans consume
Ill'arly h;llf of thl' l'arth\ indusnial r;jW
mall'rials. 1'\01 ..urprio;,ingJy. the \.I.'ay (,I' Ilk thai ft'.
quirt's ..uch large :Jlllounh of nalUfal fl',nUH'L" al\o
produces enormous amount., "f Wa\tl"S in the solid
slalC. Ilut until reel'nlly, ,\nll"rlculls wac lIut grt'al-
Iy com;nllL'd with cllvirollll1l'nlal prohkms :JSMH:i-
aled with the clIllcction and Jisro.\al of trash,
J,:;lTha~c. Of uther ,\>Iid wa\lt", In ;1 V;,,( cllumry.
with Inw population d('nsily and sl'cmingly un.
Jjrnit...d natural rC\llUrCt'S, lhl' most convenient
Jispos;ll method-usually an opl'n dump-sl'Cnll:U
;Jdt'ljUatc. Theft' appc;tfcd no fl'aSOn to rellse
W:I..ll'S since virgin m;llcrials were anund;tnt and
oft~'n cheaper thall r~'c1alllled mat~'rials.
loJay. howcver. this view has h..'ell repl;lecd
hy a ~~'nuinc concern, not only for improved dis-
pll..al methods but for the recn\"Cry and reuse of
the villuahlc and uflell irreplaceable resources that
form a large p.tr! of Ihe discard.. of this high-
production. high,omumption society.
The ..lIlid wastes pnxluced in the United Slates
nllw total 4.3 hillion tons a y~'ar. Of this, 36Q
million tons arc household. municipal, and indus-
tria] wastes. In addition thae arc 2.3 billion Ion..
of agricultural wastes and 1.7 billion tons of
mlncralw;lstes.
Of this allnual total IIJIl million tons. or 5.3
pounds p.:r person p~'r day, ar.... pid:....J up by some
colkction a~ency ;Ind hauleJ aWa)' for disposal
-at a cnst of over $4.5 billion per year.

\fost prcs('nt disposal methods pollute either
land, ;Iir. or water. Three-fourths of the dumps
contribute 10 air pollution and half of them arc

so siWaled Ih:1I their drainag.... a~gravate.. pollution
Ilf rivers and streallls. AlnH~t all lllunicip:11 in-
drll.'rators arc ohsolesc....nt in I...'rms or today's
n....eds :1l1d t....chF1\lltl~y.
" nalion:l] ..urwy has rewakd Ihat It...ss than
(. Iwrc~'nt of 12.0{lO land .li...pns.d sill.'.. meel the
minimum kdcral standards for sanitary l:1ndrill~:
and ;III over the cllul1lry. ....itle... ullilhlc to 'ind
ellllVl"nil'llI ..pae~' for land di..po..al, :In' lk..p....ratdy
..cd in).: lIew sit......-\.'\'l'n di~tanl sitl's-Iu which
tIll')' C;ln h;lul Ir:lilllu:tds of Illunieipal wa..t....s. In
tilt..' citie... :111 too fr""4I1l'nIJy, inadequate cn]]('cliun
result, in wa..le ;Iecumu]ati"m that bn'eo db.ea..e,
r;lIs and accidents,
Ily I lJHO. It is ....~peeled that wastL' eollcclinll
will mount to o.......r 340 milliolls Ion.. pa year.
or X pounds per rx'rson Pl'r d:1Y. It i.. estimalL'd.
In fill'1. thai our s(.lid wa..te IO:ld i.. pre~ently in-
er....a..in~ al twk..... the rale of the populalion
increa..e.
Americans see Ihe drect of Ihe pres('1II sulid
wa..tl' load ....vcrywhere: in smoking dumps that
ring Iheir cities and add tll the pollution (If their
air: ill the fOlll-..melling barges 1hat mak(' their
way out In ~e:1 In dump their c:lrglll''i or sludge;
in th.... ovcrflowing ~arhage cans 111:11 line their
..idewalb or alleys: in tli.... acres of junked ear
gravcyarJ~ Ihat rll;Jr th....ir l'ountry!'>ide.
I'h.... annual "throwaway" includ....s 4X hillinn
cans, 2(. hill ion houles and jars. 4 million tOll!'> (If
pla..tic, 7,t! million lde\'hion set!'>, 7 mi\lil.n e;lr:,
and trud.s and 30 millinn Inns uf paper. The
problem!'> or disposal have heen aggravated hy
wide..prcaJ and increasing use of packaging, dis~
posable containers. :IllJ other convenience ma-
terials Ihal do not burn or decay.