Wasted Space: Repurposing Landfills for Resilient Ecologies and Improvements to Equity

Abstract

Abstract How can a closed municipal solid waste landfill be repurposed to provide improvements to ecology and equity once the landfill has reached the end of its intended life cycle? The impact of landfills on the environment and human health has improved considerably since the early 1990s with the introduction of federal municipal solid waste landfill regulations through the implementation of Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and state-level regulatory agencies. However, a landfill does little to positively contribute to the local ecology and surrounding residents without significant modifications. Once a landfill has reached the end of its life cycle and is no longer accepting waste, it is often capped, closed, and monitored for up to thirty years post-closure per regulatory requirements. As a result, the property remains a municipal asset which must be maintained to meet post-closure requirements under RCRA, yet the surrounding environment receives little to no benefit from a large, underutilized plot of clear-cut land used solely to store waste. This paper will explore how closed municipal solid waste landfills can be repurposed to provide contributions to the local environment and provide amenities for the use of surrounding residents.