Overview
Los Reales Municipal Solid Waste Landfill in Tucson, Arizona, is an operational landfill serving the Pima County region. It manages solid waste under U.S. EPA RCRA Subtitle D regulations.
Los Reales Municipal Solid Waste Landfill is an operational landfill located at 5300 E Los Reales Rd in Tucson, Arizona, within Pima County. As a municipal solid waste facility, it plays a key role in managing the region's waste stream, serving a population center in the southwestern United States. The facility operates under the regulatory framework of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's RCRA Subtitle D, which governs municipal solid waste landfills. This includes requirements for liner systems, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring, and landfill gas management. The landfill's NAICS code 562212 indicates it is specifically focused on solid waste landfill operations. Environmental management at Los Reales includes typical landfill operations such as waste compaction, daily cover, and gas collection to mitigate methane emissions. The facility's location in the Sonoran Desert climate presents unique considerations for leachate management and groundwater protection, given the arid conditions and proximity to the Tucson basin aquifer.
Environmental context
The landfill is situated in the Sonoran Desert, where low rainfall reduces leachate generation but also limits natural attenuation. Groundwater protection is critical due to the underlying Tucson basin aquifer, a primary drinking water source. Landfill gas management is essential to control methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, and to minimize odor impacts on nearby communities. The facility's proximity to Tucson means traffic and dust from operations are managed to reduce community disruption.
Frequently asked questions
Los Reales Municipal Solid Waste Landfill is located at 5300 E Los Reales Rd in Tucson, Arizona, within Pima County, United States.
As a municipal solid waste landfill, Los Reales accepts household, commercial, and non-hazardous industrial solid waste, operating under U.S. EPA RCRA Subtitle D regulations.
Landfill gas, primarily methane and carbon dioxide, is collected through a gas extraction system to control odors and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The gas may be flared or used for energy recovery.
Municipal solid waste landfills in the U.S. are regulated under RCRA Subtitle D, which sets standards for location, design, operation, groundwater monitoring, and closure. The Clean Air Act also regulates landfill gas emissions.
In arid regions, landfills face unique challenges such as low rainfall reducing leachate but increasing dust. Groundwater protection is critical due to reliance on aquifers. Landfill gas management remains important for methane control.
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