Suitability analysis is an imperative process in city planning and ArcGIS is an ideal application to perform this form of spatial analysis. In the case of planning for a landfill site, public concerns and fears can have a major influence and should somehow be factored into the suitability analysis. Despite the fact that landfill construction is heavily regulated by countless local, state, and federal agencies, public perception is often the greatest obstacle due to the NIMBY (not in my backyard) phenomenon.
For example, the residents of Kettleman City near the Central Valley landfill are suffering from water and soil pollution and have assumed that the source of this pollution is the landfill. The source of this toxic water and resulting birth defects is still being investigated. Other sources, such as naturally occurring arsenic, are likely candidates for these health issues but the large scale of the landfill causes many people to assume it is responsible. Since landfills are often the only option for storing trash and garbage that accumulate in cities, it is necessary to build them reasonably nearby urban areas so that the waste can be transported easily.
After completing the suitability analysis tutorial in ArcGIS, it was apparent that many factors must be considered in the placement of a landfill. However, this tutorial mainly covered topological features including distance, slope, soil drainage, stream basins, and land cover type. All of these features were analyzed and classified in order to provide clear maps representing a range of suitability. For example, the buffer tool was used to outline the region near the stream basin, which is strictly off-limits for landfills, and the gradient showed darker shades with increasingly distance from the water system. All of these factors were combined, using the raster calculator, to create a final analysis that optimizes suitability by region.
Since landfills are a sensitive and sometimes hazardous land use, it is important to incorporate public perception into the suitability analysis. For instance, another factor that could be incorporated into this analysis of Gallatin County is the proximity to schools, parks, and neighborhoods. A map could be created in which these locations would be geocoded and plotted with a buffer zone surrounding these sensitive areas. This consideration could help avoid public protests and predicaments like the situation in Kettleman City.
Suitability analysis is an invaluable tool when determining the placement of land uses, when combined with stringent government regulations created to protect the public and the environment. However, the human element must also be considered. Certain land uses such as wastewater plants, power plants, and landfills, inspire fear and concern in residents who are uneducated the high-level of safety maintained by these structures. Therefore in order to proceed with the expansion of the landfill in the Central Valley, the city needs to educate the public and approach a compromise to relieve public apprehension.
Citations:
Sahagun, Louis. "Feinstein, Boxer call for delay on plans to expand Central Valley Landfill ." Article Collections. Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb 2010. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/10/local/la-me-toxic10-2010feb10>.
"Permitting Landfills and Disposal Sites." CalRecycle. California State Government. <http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/SWFacilities/Permitting/FacilityType/Landfill>.
"Landfills: Hazardous to the Environment." Zero Waste America. <http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/landfills.htm>.
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