The Houston region disposes of about 1.25 tons of solid waste per person annually. Solid waste is ranked as a medium risk because it is currently disposed of in improved landfills that are more protective of health than older landfills. However, solid waste disposal presents a number of immediate and long-term problems, such as location of future landfills, impacts on local communities, and illegal dumping. The ranking also reflects a concern about landfill locations in or near predominately minority neighborhoods, as illustrated below. HARC analysis based on available but incomplete data from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission derived from the 1990 U.S. Census.
Landfills are undesirable neighbors, affecting property values and community image.
Heavy landfill traffic brings problems such as road wear, air pollution, and odors. Recycling helps reduce the need for landfills, but recycling and composting centers sometimes bring similar problems. Costs of waste disposal are rising due to difficulty in locating new sites and increased costs of managing landfills. These costs and the unavailability of nearby landfills may increase illegal dumping.