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Article: 'Big dig' unearths clues to garbage decay. (excavation of Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, New York)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- November 24, 1990
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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'Big dig' unearths clues to garbage decay
Begun in 1948 atop a swamp on Staten Island, N.Y., the Fresh Kills landfill -- the world's largest -- covers 4,950 acres and holds 2.3 billion cubic feet of refuse. A year ago, this massive monument to a throwaway society hosted the first multidisciplinary excavation aimed at understanding why some landfill wastes decay more slowly than expected.
Five participating research teams unveiled their preliminary findings last week in Arlington, Va., at a meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Though most of their reports confirmed the suspected importance of moisture in fostering decay, ...