Both hazardous and solid waste regulations prohibit disposal of hazardous waste in a landfill that is not specifically designed and permitted. Nevertheless, we generate a great deal of hazardous wastes in our homes that we unwittingly dispose of daily. For example, pesticides and paint thinners may be tossed in trash taken to the landfill. Most businesses are regulated and monitored for their hazardous waste disposal practices. Although some people and companies illegally put hazardous wastes in landfills, heavy penalties including fines and jail sentences make illegal disposal very unattractive.
Hospitals operate under regulations that specify disposal requirements for medical wastes .
Violations of these rules can subject hospitals to substantial penalties. A. Generally, the volume of waste accepted is set in the terms of the landfill permit, usually as tons per month. The landfill operator weighs the waste upon arrival, and tonnage reports must be submitted on a periodic basis to state environmental agencies. A. State and local regulations may require that a landfill be a minimum distance from an occupied dwelling unless written permission to be closer is given by the occupant. A common distance is 500 feet.