Waste Management, EESC BC3033x
Instructor: Daniel C. Walsh, Ph. D. (dcw43@columbia.edu)
Time: Monday 6-8 pm
Seminar: 4 pts

This seminar will examine the principal elements of solid, hazardous and sewage waste management and will explain the options available for their treatment and disposal. A strong emphasis will be placed on urban waste management issues with most examples and case studies drawn from New York City.

The course is designed for students interested in urban waste management and related environmental pollution management practices. It is pertinent to those considering environmental science, engineering, public affairs, urban planning and related disciplines.

Solid waste: Addresses waste composition, landfilling, incineration, recycling, and transfer stations. Special topics covered in this unit will include the history of recycling in NYC, the 40-year saga of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a virtual tour of the operation and closure of Fresh Kills Landfill.

Hazardous waste: Examines current practices for management of modern urban brownfields, including Superfund and development-based environmental cleanup programs.

A unique emergency waste management unit will place students in the role of senior environmental managers responsible for environmental oversight and problem solving following a mock, large-scale catastrophic event patterned after 9/11. Each week student 'management teams' will be briefed on the status of the evolving disaster and will be given assignments that parallel those occurred in NYC during the 11-month period following 9/11. Solutions will be presented and critiqued.

A term paper will be required and will provide a detailed analysis of selected historical waste management crises and milestones experienced in NYC based on research drawn from the New York Times database and other sources.

Grades will be based on:
class participation 15%
management team assignments 25%
term paper 60%