Above, one of three mounds at the Seneca Meadows Landfill in Waterloo, NY, as seen from the west side of Seneca Lake approximately eight miles away (through a telephoto lens). Credit: Kevin Colton, HWS.

EPA Region Map

EPA Region Map
EPA Region Map

Monday, February 28, 2011

Garbage in the Snow

Over the weekend I noticed that the snow-pack that had built up over the winter was quickly melting. Outside my window I noticed that when the snow disappeared a whole bunch of garbage was uncovered. I had no idea the garbage was hiding under the snow-pack. Among the waste was bottles, plastic bags, and cans, all of which are recyclable. The area behind my window is a low lying area where it would be easy for someone to dispose of something they don't want to deal with. There is a parking lot above which could collect garbage, and it could blow into this area and become trapped.

This was interesting because as we head into spring and the all the snow melts more garbage will be revealed. One place that this may occur could be the movie theater shopping mall where huge snow piles have built up since the start of winter. Also, the snow piles in the Wegman's parking lot. I would suspect that when the snowplows push the snow into the large piles, garbage would also get trapped in the mountains of snow. Come spring time maybe there will be a high concentration of trash where the piles of snow once stood?

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