Utilizing municipal solid waste combustion residue in construction applications. An analysis of attempts to establish demonstration projects in the United States: Process, perception, policy and technology.

摘要

Reliance on combustion or incineration as a principal management method for municipal solid waste, costs for protectively landfilling the combustion residue, and the use of municipal solid waste combustion (MWC) residues in civil engineering projects in some European countries have stimulated interest in the United States (US) to utilize MWC residues in construction applications. Policies and practices governing MWC management in the US are controversial, and attempts to conduct demonstration projects have met mixed success. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is a sponsor of such projects for purposes of building a data base to support regulatory decisions and also funds studies to characterize MWC residue utilization projects in the US, and determine why some are implemented and some not. These latter tasks were conducted by the author in conjunction with this dissertation.; This research analyzes a range of factors associated with selected proposed demonstration projects—decision-making process, communication patterns, environmental impact, technology, risk perception, and policy—to determine what factors were important and pivotal in successful and unsuccessful attempts to initiate projects. Six case studies were selected from known proposed projects. Detailed face-to-face interviews were conducted with leaders of all major stakeholder groups in each project, and related primary documents were reviewed. Additional interviews were conducted in the Netherlands with key individuals from the principal Dutch institutions engaged in civil engineering projects utilizing MWC residues. Literature from the fields of planning, community organization, risk communication and perception, and waste management technology and policy provide the basis for analyzing the data within the framework of the hypotheses being tested.; Major findings. Projects were more likely to be implemented when: (1) sponsors developed a detailed, non-adversarial communication strategy; (2) stakeholders were actively included from the moment they expressed interest or concern; (3) local officials and residents and organizations with strong local credibility were involved early-on and felt in control; (4) technical/research aspects were of high quality and locally credible; and (5) environmental impacts were minimized in project design. Projects were less likely to be implemented when: (1) opponents were organized and highly active; and (2) communication was closed and one-way.