An impact assessment of current rural Alaska village solid waste management systems: a case study

• Main Author: Wilkins, William H. III
• Other Authors: Zhang, Mingchu, Greenberg, Joshua, Mouton, Michele
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Master of Science in Natural Resources Management; Fairbanks; Yukon; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/6877

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2016 The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of current and alternative solid waste management practices of two rural Alaskan villages. The EASETECH life-cycle assessment modeling tool was used to compare the current solid waste management systems for the remote villages of Kalskag and Fort Yukon across eight alternative scenarios. Annual waste generation and composition data for these two villages and data specific to processes and functions for each waste system were collected and used to modify templates within the EASETECH program to provide a life-cycle assessment for current and proposed waste management practices. The results indicate that integrated waste management practices for these remote villages may not be economically feasible or environmentally favorable. Waste management options, though limited for these remote villages, may benefit from minor system changes. These changes include transport services and burn practices that only slightly increase operating costs, but significantly reduce local social and environmental impacts. Local, accurate, and complete waste stream data could help support future management planning for the solid waste management systems of these rural villages. Chapter 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Introduction to Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems -- 1.2. Solid Waste Management in Alaska -- 1.3. Rural Alaska Village Economics -- 1.4. Rural Alaska Landfills -- 1.5. Thesis Problem and Statement -- 1.6. Thesis Outline -- Chapter 2. Case Study -- 2.1. Kalskag and Fort Yukon Solid Waste Characterization -- 2.2. The Rural Villages of Kalskag and Fort Yukon -- 2.3. Waste Stream Characterization Methods -- 2.4. Waste Stream Characterization Results -- Chapter 3. Evaluation of Rural Alaska Waste Management Systems -- 3.1. Systems Modelling Approach and Life-Cycle Assessment -- 3.2. The EASETECH Model -- 3.3. Impact Categories -- 3.4. Materials and Methods -- 3.5. Results -- Chapter 4. Discussion -- References -- ...