Why is the Closed Landfill Inventory important?
The Closed Landfill Inventory is important because it can help to identify areas of potential environmental risk. As garbage decomposes, it produces methane gas, which in high enough concentrations, can lead to explosions. Several years ago in the Austin area, an apartment complex built above an unknown landfill had to be evacuated because of a methane gas leak. Improperly engineered landfills may also be a source of groundwater and soil contamination.
