As you have learned in this first unit, pollution is a worldwide issue that must be combatted. Read the scenarios provided below, and choose one to write about for your essay.

Option 1:

A consumer products company in a third-world country manufactures a cough medicine to be sold in the United States as an over-the-counter medicine in grocery stores and in pharmacies. At the manufacturing plant, the flavoring of the medicine is very volatile, and the smell permeates the plant. After the production run is completed, the mixing tanks are washed, and the contents are discharged into a trench that runs for a mile down to the local river. Filters used to remove any particles from the cough syrup are collected and discarded into a local trash pile located at the edge of the property.

Identify the various environmental compartments that will be impacted by this manufacturing facility.

If you were hired to be an environmental consultant at the facility, what would be your first steps in changing the manufacturing process (use the waste management hierarchy)?

Option 2:

A municipality is encouraging a furniture company to set up shop and to use local residents for their manufacturing operations.

They have hired you as an advisor to identify the technology that the municipality should have in place to dispose of the non-hazardous waste that cannot be recycled or reused. There are two options: construct a new municipal landfill for the entire community or construct an incinerator. In these cases, the methane from the landfill will be burned to provide heat for the municipal buildings, or the heat from the combustion chamber of the incinerator will be used to provide heat the municipal buildings.

Identify adverse impacts to human health or the environment for each of the two technologies

Use the adverse effects you identified to make a recommendation to the city council.

Your response should be a minimum of one page in length, not including your title page and reference page. Any outside sources you choose to use should be scholarly sources. All sources used, including textbooks, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.