Environmental management of quarries as waste disposal facilities

Problems associated with the disposal of municipal solid waste have become a source of public concern worldwide as awareness of potential adverse envi ronmental impacts and health threats from solid waste has increased. Commun ities are concerned about the generation and management of solid waste to t he extent of refusing to allow new disposal facilities near their homes, of ten after witnessing the legacy of existing facilities. Under these conditi ons, the development of national policies for the management of solid waste becomes highly political, all while requiring appropriate technical soluti ons that ensure environmental protection and proper management plans that s upport an acceptable solution for the disposal of municipal solid waste. In some locations, the conversion of old quarries into well-engineered and co ntrolled landfills appears as a promising solution to a continuously increa sing problem, at least for many decades to come. This paper describes the e nvironmental impacts associated with solid waste disposal in a converted qu arry site and the mitigation measures that can be adopted to alleviate pote ntial adverse impacts. Environmental management and monitoring plans are al so discussed in the context of ensuring adequate environmental protection d uring and after the conversion process.