Landfills are an integral part of Louisiana’s waste management system, receiving waste from the state’s people, businesses and disasters.

Balancing Effective Landfills in a Culturally and Economically Diverse State

As a state rich in culture, natural resources, and industry, Louisiana faces a unique set of challenges when managing landfills in a way that addresses environmental and public health needs. The landfills of Louisiana — which have improved in terms of technology and oversight in recent years — are central to any plan for addressing the state’s waste problems.

Landfill Summary for the State of Louisiana

Dozens of active landfills in Louisiana include municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfills, and industrial landfills. Those facilities service urban centers such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge, as well as the state’s rural areas, which have lower population density but less extensive waste management infrastructure.

LDEQ manages landfill operations in Louisiana for compliance with federal and state regulation. In an effort to reduce harm to the surrounding environment, today’s landfills in Louisiana utilize liners, leachate collection systems, and gas recovery systems. But the state also faces a large volume of older, unlined landfills, many in need of monitoring or treatment.

Waste Generation and Trends

Louisiana produces tens of millions of tons of waste every year from residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities.

The state’s economy depends on sectors like oil and gas, chemical manufacturing and agriculture, all significant producers of industrial and hazardous waste. Finally, construction and demolition is a major contributor to landfill space used, particularly in the wake of hurricanes and flooding.

Louisiana’s waste management woes are exacerbated by natural disasters. Hurricanes such as Katrina in 2005 and Ida in 2021 produced massive amounts of debris, exceeding existing landfill capacity and prompting emergency measures to deal with the sudden onslaught of waste.

There are some low recycling rates in places like Louisiana, when taking into consideration how much public access there is as well as differing corporate laws, recycling programs, etc. This puts more pressure on landfills, which must handle most of the waste produced in the state.

Environmental Challenges in Louisiana

Landfills in Louisiana are at heightened environmental risk because of the state’s unique geography and climate:

  • Location Near Wetlands and Waterways: A number of landfills are situated alongside wetlands, rivers and other waterbodies, increasing the chances of contaminating leachate should any breach occur. If not adequately contained, leachate — the liquid runoff from decomposing waste — is an enormous threat to Louisiana’s water resources
  • Hurricane & Flood Risk: The second major risk for landfills operating in Louisiana is hurricanes and flooding. Flooding can also cause leaching or waste dispersal, and hurricane debris poses logistical challenges (where to put the waste) and environmental concerns (whether or not to put the waste in landfills)
  • Methane Emissions: When organic waste decomposes in landfills, it generates methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. While many landfills in Louisiana have gas capture systems to mitigate emissions, not all facilities have that technology, which adds to the state’s carbon footprint.

Closed and Legacy Landfills

Louisiana has many closed and inactive landfills, many of which existed before today’s environmental regulations. And those legacy landfills have left behind chronic and lasting dangers such as soil instability, groundwater contamination, and hazards to structures. Remediation can be expensive, and usually requires long-term monitoring to ensure the safety of the public.

Many closed landfills have been redeveloped for other uses, including green space, industrial sites or even renewable energy projects — like a solar farm. But these projects are contingent on the level of remediation that’s required and how suitable the location is for redevelopment.

Regulatory Supervision and Policies

Because the state of Louisiana has been granted primary enforcement authority under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for the state’s landfills, it is the LDEQ that enforces landfill regulations within the state, which include over 2,000 RCRA rules. Regulations concerning landfill design, operations, closure, and post-closure care exist with an aim toward the protection of human health and the environment.

As active landfills, Louisiana likewise has policies that are designed to reduce landfill use such as promoting recycling, composting, and various waste diversion programs. However, small development budgets and meager infrastructure have led to limited adoption of these initiatives.

Community and Environmental Justice Concerns

Landfills are located largely in low-income, minority areas of Louisiana, raising concerns about environmental justice. People who live near landfills often complain of bad smells, noise, heavy truck traffic and possible harm to health from air and water pollution. Advocacy groups persist in their belief that landfill siting decisions should involve more neighborhood residents and stronger enforcement of environmental standards.

Challenges and Future Opportunities

Moving forward, Louisiana will need to take a number of steps to ensure it is managing its landfills sustainably:

  • Expanding Waste Quantities: Whether driven by population growth, industrial expansion, or climate-related disasters, the world will need more landfill space and waste diversion strategies
  • Recycling and Diversion: Updating recycling infrastructure and launching awareness campaigns could minimize landfill reliance and prolong the life of current facilities
  • With climate change prospects: How do we adapt landfill operations to be resilient to extreme weather events (e.g., flooding, hurricanes)

But the good news for Louisiana is that it can do better. For example, facilities that capture methane emitted from landfills and turn this gas into energy could capture emissions, while also producing renewable energy. It also could fund improvements in recycling and composting infrastructure through public-private partnerships.

Landfilling is an essential yet complicated part of Louisiana’s waste landscape.

Despite surprisingly high levels of landfill use, there remains some way to go towards 21st-century infrastructures and regulation, and recycling rates, environmental risks, and climate vulnerabilities all remain an issue for action.

Through focusing on the importance of sustainable waste management, dumpster rental services, legacy landfill management, and community-driven decision making, Louisiana can better address its waste management issues in a more reasonable and environmentally friendly manner.