Beginning at the ridgeline, the landfill was slowly expanding down the gorge, filling in 200 meters of depth along the way. A river originates in this gorge and continues downstream to the Pacific, maybe 100 kilometers away. All the seepage from this landfill contributes directly to the sick, greasy water that makes up the river. Untold quantities of heavy metals and other toxins must flow downstream every year, where water is used for domestic purposes. Children play in this water, and clothes are washed in it.
Livestock drink from it.
Trash dumping by the side of the road is common. Unauthorized landfills abound outside large cities, where vultures circle incessantly and poor residents search through the garbage for anything valuable to sell. In some cases cattle and other livestock are released into these landfills to forage, when no pastureland is available. Contributing to roadside trash is a constant stream of litter from vehicles. Bus and shuttle riders tend to eat as they travel, and food containers, once emptied, invariably go out the window.