Short term and long term problems associated with the closure of a landfill
Landfills serve many people within the municipal (Chang, 2009). The closure of these sites does not mean that the residents will stop carrying out the various activities responsible for the production of wastes. Landfills can be closed down for a number of reasons. One of them is when the landfill reaches its capacity such that it cannot accommodate any more wastes without compromising the health of the residents (Tansel, 2009). The closure of these sites is associated with a number of problems, both in the short term and in the long term. One long term challenge entails environmental pollution (Ahmed, Al-Attas, Mohiuddin & Al-Suwaiyan, 2002). As long as the landfill exists, it will continue posing threats to the environment and to the people around. It is hard to eliminate these risks within a span of days. The reason is that the land on which the site was located will never be the way it was before its existence (Tansel, 2009). A short term problem involves costs, which can make the municipal incur losses. It takes time to come up with a plan for an alternative landfill (Mayorga & Subramanian, 2009). The process requires money. Landfills also continue to emit gases even when they are closed. In addition, liners can tear.
Recommendations to mitigate the problems
To avoid incurring high costs, other measures of dealing with waste products can be explored. The new measures will ensure that the landfill is not used extensively. Pollution can be avoided in the future if the landfills are handled as per the laid down standards (Thorneloe, Weitz & Jambeck, 2007). A landfill should be closed down when other alternatives have been put in place to avoid problems that may arise.