Natural Resources and Energy

Marlon Sutton (bullets 1 & 2) Introduction
Gina S. Washington (bullets 3 & 4) Conclusion
Lawrence Long (bullets 5 & 6)
SCI/256
9/17/2013
Dr. Lauren Pittenger

Natural Resources and Energy
Club D have chosen Puente Hills Landfill Ecosystem to show influences associated with agriculture. In addition, to express the effects that increasing human inhabitant’s obligation on the ecosystem’s means, with damage or else injury to the occupants uninhabited species. Screening Puente Hills landfill practice for sustainability, plus preservation of natural resources management cutting-edge in the current ecosystem. Club D expresses concerns about recognizing the risks as well as benefits of extracting or using a nonrenewable energy resource from area near the Puente hills landfill. Club D will assess supervision practices for sustainability in addition to conservation of natural resources and energy at Puente Hills Landfill the largest landfill in the world.

Identify impacts associated with Agriculture

The environmental impacts associated with Puente Hills landfill According to Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (2009), consist of improvements that would occur within the “County Sanitation District No. 2 of Los Angeles County (LACSD) Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF), task site, as well as off-site developments surrounded by a broader study area essential to sustenance procedures of the PHIMF. The development site is roughly 14 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, southeast of the intersection of Interstate 605 (I-605) plus State Route 60 (SR-60)” (para. 1-108). This assets includes two parcels that presently occupied by an unoccupied “457,000-square-foot” (Puente Hills Intermodal Facility, 2009) (pg1-108). Office and depository building, associated car parks areas, and redesigning developments. Concerning the conservational impacts linked with the structure and procedures of the PHIMF for the elite resolution unloading and loading rail-ready freight containers of harmless “public solid waste (MSW)” concerning trucks plus railway carriage. The procedure strategy ultimately would ensure the ability to transport two Pullmans each time, or roughly “8,000 tons” each period, plus up to “4,000” per day starting the neighboring “Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (PHMRF)” (Puente Hills Intermodal Facility, 2009). By means of the former resources recovery services and transferal, stations influences. The surrounding area consists primarily of commercial and industrial uses, with the exclusion of two residential neighborhoods to the north and east of the project site.

The development site remains adjoined by industrialized uses to the west. Delta Technical Coatings and developed and industrial capability is immediately adjacent to the mission site’s western limit. According to, Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (2009), the effects of the department of Public Works, easement rainstorm drain, in addition to Workman modification concerns. Los Angeles Fire Department Hazardous Materials Plans, Region of California Public Utilities, Regional National Pollutant Discharge, Water Quality Control also the primary air pollutants of concern for which ambient air quality standard. In addition, Department of transportation, District 7 South Coast Air Quality Management, California Department of Public Health (para. 1-108) remains identified and associated with agricultures influences.

Resolution linger on the changes made to transportation unloading and loading rail-ready freight car of nontoxic public solid waste (MSW), also the primary air pollutants of concern for which ambient air quality standards. Not overlooking the project would result in short term impacts from project-related construction activities. The natural resources certainly not plant life populations that support inherent otherwise delicate types exist within the right-of-way or else On-site. Therefore, the planned development would not result in major effects in this concern.

Effects of Human Population Growth and Ecosystem Resources and Harm to Wild Species

The human population within the Los Angeles County alone is near 10 (ten) million people, with an additional 3 million people in neighboring Orange County. The Counties human population is growing at a rate of 5% yearly (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Therefore, as the human population grows, open land space is converted to urban and suburban uses, resulting in tracts of native coastal sage scrub and chaparral wildlife habitats. Harmony living with wild habitat neighbors could help tone-down the urban influence on those wildlife animals that live in your adjacent natural areas. With urban development increasing and consequently diminishing their native habitats, wildlife species are losing places to hunt for food, roam, and peacefully exist.

Having a healthy rich wildlife population is necessary for a healthy ecosystem, which in turn creates a cleaner watershed, space and air among many other benefits. Isolating and condensing wild life species, especially medium and larger sized animals could alter behavior of wildlife and have many adverse effects of isolation thru fragmentation on species ecological process negatively (Crooks 2002, Hunter 2006). People living adjacent or near natural areas (approximately 20 miles) Puente Hills Landfill presents a challenge as well to the animals and plants that occupy the open space. They often experience visits from animal wildlife, such as raccoons, rodents, and skunks often go unnoticed; whereas larger mammals such as coyotes draw the attention of humans. It is known that coyote attacks on humans are rare. But, the significant numbers of attacks that have occurred to humans were smaller children, whereas, Coyotes can view smaller children as prey animals (particularly when a child is crouched down while playing). This is not something that should alarm people, but instead should make people aware of leaving food and trash exposed. “Connectivity is not just another goal of conservation: it is the natural state of things.” Michael Soulé & John Terborgh (1999),

Management Sustainability and Conservation Resources Ecosystem

Puente Hills Landfill is in the forefront for sustainability and ecosystem leadership, they have been recognized with many awards thru the excellence of restoration, achievements and ecosystem developments. They have sustained a multi-use ecosystem and consistently recognition for capital projects and earned leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEED) certification, as well as becoming the maser recycler, recycling two thirds of their trash. Puente Hills has created a waste to energy program which offers an answer to handling smaller materials that cannot be recycled.

In 2007, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors realized a need for a more sustainable waste management system which reduces reliance on landfills and community sanitation. Working with such imminent closure of Puente Hills Landfill, known as the country’s largest landfill, shipping waste to remote parts by California rail system and escalating price gauging, alternatives had to be found. Approved by the County Board to promote the sophisticated multi-phased Conversion Technology (CT) program has circulated throughout the region of California. Simply said, CT facilities convert trash into biofuels or electricity and other byproducts.

Embraced by citizens and governments internationally, such as Israel, Japan, and Spain who has for countless years relied on Puente Hills for leadership management of waste technology. The CT program not only generated green, blue collar jobs locally, but they have also created an environmentally impactful system with increased recycling rates and reduced air emissions. Puente Hills Landfill management are enthused of the technology program that has been put in place locally and throughout the state, but will continue to work in good faith with Sacramento and statewide ensuring conversion technologies benefits are available to all Californians.

Risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and renewable resource There are many risks to extracting non-renewable resources. Due to the fact that non-renewable energies come from sources on earth, once they are gone they can't be replaced or revitalized. Since it can’t be replace or revitalized pollution is at an all-time high and it will continue to be that way until the problem is solved. Unfortunately fossil fuels, which is a non- renewable and widely used source, contributes to global warming. Until scientist discover or invent a different source we will continue to destroy our planet till there is nothing left.

The benefit of non-renewable energies is the fact that the sources are overly accessible and cheap. “Oil and diesel are still good choices for powering vehicles. They are cost effective and much easier to produce and use. Non-renewable energy also has market value where a supplier or manufacturer makes money and pays workers enhancing economies (2013).” Because non-renewable energy sources are extremely popular throughout the world most countries uses the energy sources to help their economy produce revenue. For some countries that is their main source of income.

The risk of renewable resources at Puente hills landfill is the gas that is being extracted. Unfortunately landfill gas is a threat to human health and global warming. The gas also effects climate change. Burning LFG to produce energy pollutes the air up to 40% more than flaring. Flaring is used mostly in industrial plants for petroleum and natural gas. Another risk of landfill gas is that the combustion process produces dioxin which is a harmful combination of toxic chemicals.

The benefits of renewal resources are that their renewable energy program produces zero or few greenhouse gas emissions. During the manufacturing processes only small amounts of gas are being used. The use of renewable sources of energy decreases the risk of air and water pollutants. If renewable energy equipment is carefully located then there are few land use conflicts which is extremely important when it comes to protecting the environment and employees who work in the landfills.

Management practices for sustainability and conservation of natural resources The management practices for the conservation of natural resources are predicated off the “resource conservation and recovery act (2008).” “The act was passed in 1976 and Puente Hills Landfill goals to protect human health and the environment from potential hazards of waste disposal (2010).” Management understands the importance for conserving natural resources due to the fact they could not only harm the environment but harm themselves as well. Puente Hills Landfill does a great job of managing methane gas exposure by using boilers to properly produce gas. Management also properly maintains there landfill gas by using their state of the art gas pretreatment system. The Sanitation Districts with in Puente Hills Landfill maintains emission levels below the average requirement by the “South Coast Air Quality Management District.” Overall, the Puente Hills Landfill facilities have successfully demonstrated proper procedures for producing landfill gas-to-energy. The management deserves a lot of credit for achieving that success because it has provided Puente Hills Landfill economic benefits as well.

Conclusion Once used as a dairy farm; a valley filled with cows producing milk. And now it's a geological feature made out of trash," (Edward Humes "Garbology). Los Angeles Puente Hills Landfill, Icon as Americas most state of the art landfill in the world managing the most garbage and rubbish, has the most sustainable, eco friendliest, recycling system and appearance in the world. What’s next for Puente Hill landfill? Could it be a beautiful Playground park?

References Puente Hills Intermodal Facility. (2009). Puente Hills Intermodal Facility Environmental Impact Report. Retrieved from http://www.lacsd.org/

Botkin, D. B., & Keller, E. A., (2011). Environmental science: Earth as a living planet (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons

Californians are ready for Waste-to-Energy Technologies (2013) County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. Report. Retrieved from http://www.triplepundit.com/

Schied J. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Non Renewable Energy (2013)”

Retrieved from (Retrieved from http://www.energyjustice.net/files/lfg/factsheet-lfg.pdf

Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/lfg/execsum.asp (2010)

Retrieved from http://www.lacsd.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3708

Retrieved from www.wastemanagement.com (2008)