Source: NPR
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, most of Puerto Rico’s landfills were already “beyond capacity” and set to close even before Hurricane Maria struck the land.
However, the hurricane has brought on even more challenges, creating an additional 6.2 million cubic yards of waste, according to the Puerto Rico’s Solid Waste Authority.
The land is having difficulty composting and green waste is still ending up in overflowing landfills, and new types of waste have resulted from the hurricane — such as a rotting foods and broken home appliances.
One landfill accepted more than 36,000 tons of waste in one month, which is 70 percent more than previous months.
Wetlands and water systems are jeopardized when landfills cannot be controlled and hazardous materials leak.
The Solid Waste Authority predicts that at this pace, the island’s landfills will reach max capacity and shut down within a quarter century.
Read Full Story: NPR