r/EPA
            unuea ootes
            Environmental Protection
            Agency
                  ivloniionny
             Systems Laboratory
             P.O. Box 93478
             Las Vegas NV 89193-3478
  ouw/ t-oa/
November 1989
            Research and Development
Proximity of Louisiana
Sanitary Landfills
to Wetlands and
Deepwater  Habitats

Statewide Results

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            PROXIMITY OF LOUISIANA SANITARY LANDFILLS TO WETLANDS AND
                               DEEPWATER HABITATS
                                Statewide Results
                                       by

                                Victor W. Lambou
                   Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
                      U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                          Las Vegas, Nevada  89193-3478

                       Roy C. Herndon and John E.  Moerlins
              Center for  Biomedical  and Toxicological Research  and
                           Hazardous Waste Management
                             Florida  State University
                         Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4016

                                       and

                                Robin L. Gebhard
                           National Wetlands Inventory
                          U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
                          St. Petersburg,  Florida 33702
cr-
                   ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS LABORATORY
                        OFFICE  OF  RESEARCH AND  DEVELOPMENT
                       U.S.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                             LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114

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                           NOTICE
The information  in  this  document has been  funded  wholly or
in part  by the  U.S.  Environmental Protection  Agency  under
Grant No. CR-815139010 to  the  Florida State University.   It
has been subject to  the  Agency's  peer  and administrative
review and  it  has been  approved for publication  as  an  EPA
document.   Mention of  trade  names  or  commercial products
does not constitute endorsement or recommendation  for use.
                            ii

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                          ABSTRACT
     Sanitary  landfills  can  cause  considerable  harm  to
sensitive  ecosystems  if  they  are  not  properly  located,
designed, and  managed.    The  purpose of  this report  is  to
summarize the  proximity of sanitary landfills in  the state
of  Louisiana  to  wetlands and  deepwater  habitats   (i.e.,
rivers,  lakes,   streams,  bays,  etc.);  a companion  report
presents data  on individual  landfills.    The  source  of data
used to  determine the  locations of the  sanitary  landfills
was the computer data file developed by Development Planning
and  Research   Associates,  Inc.   for   use  by   the  U.S.
Environmental  Protection  Agency's  Office  of  Solid Waste in
its RCRA  Subtitle  D  program.     The  sanitary landfills were
identified  on   U.S.  Fish  and Wildlife   Service's  National
Wetlands Inventory maps.   The nearness or  proximity  of the
sanitary  landfills  to  wetlands  and deepwater habitats was
determined  by  drawing  three  concentric  regions  around the
point representing the  location of each landfill.  The radii
of the  concentric regions were: 1/4  mile,  1/2 mile,  and  1
mile.  Most sanitary landfills in the state of Louisiana are
located  in  or  are  close  to   either  wetlands or  deepwater
habitats.   Most  are located  close  to wetlands  while more
than half are close to  deepwater habitats.  These facilities
have the potential to adversely affect sensitive ecosystems,
such  as  wetlands  and  deepwater  habitats,   either  through
habitat alterations or  through the migration  of contaminants
from sanitary landfills.
                            iii

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                       CONTENTS
                                                       Page

Abstract	iii
Figures	v
Tables	vi
     Introduction	1
     Conclusions	1
     Materials and Methods	2
     Results and Discussion	5
Literature Cited	7
                            IV

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                       FIGURES
Number                                                  gage

1    Hypothetical sanitary landfill showing the point
        (latitude  and  longitude  coordinates)  that
        represents the location  of the  landfill,  the
        concentric  regions  used  to  determine  the
        nearness   or   proximity   of   the   sanitary
        landfill to wetlands  and deepwater habitats,
        and  the  boundary  of an  100-acre  sanitary
        landfill   distributed  approximately  evenly
        around   its   point   location   (a   100-acre
        landfill uniformly distributed around a point
        will  have  a  radius  of  approximately  1/4
        mile).                                              8

2    Proximity of  47  Louisiana  sanitary landfills to
        wetlands.                                          9

3    Distance of 47  Louisiana sanitary landfills to
        the closest wetland.                              10

4    Proximity of  47  Louisiana  sanitary landfills to
        deepwater habitats.                               11

5    Distance of 47  Louisiana sanitary landfills to
        the closest deepwater habitat.                    12

6    Proximity of  47  Louisiana  sanitary landfills to
        either   the   closest  wetland  or  deepwater
        habitat,        .                                  13

7    Distance of 47  Louisiana sanitary landfills to
        either   the   closest  wetland  or  deepwater
        habitat.                                          14

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                        TABLES
Number                                                  Page

1    Definition of wetlands used by the U.S.  Fish and
        Wildlife Service                                  15

2    Definition  of deepwater  habitats  used by  the
        U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service                    17

3    Definitions  of  the  five  major systems  used  by
        the  U.S.   Fish  and  Wildlife   Service  in
        classifying wetlands and deepwater habitats       18

4    Number and  percentage of sanitary  landfills  in
        Louisiana that are proximate to wetlands          23

5    Number and  percentage of sanitary  landfills  in
        Louisiana  that  are proximate  to  deepwater
        habitats                                          24

6    Number and  percentage of sanitary  landfills  in
        Louisiana  that   are  proximate   to  either
        wetlands or deepwater habitats                    25
                            vi

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                        INTRODUCTION

     Sanitary  landfills,  as  typically  defined,  are  waste
management  facilities  regulated  under  Subtitle D  of  the
Resource  Conservation  and  Recovery  Act   (RCRA).     These
facilities  are  commonly  referred  to  as  municipal  waste
landfills and  they are primarily used to  receive household
refuse and nonhazardous commercial waste.  However,  sanitary
landfills also receive other types of  Subtitle D waste, such
as sewage sludge  and  industrial  wastes.   Sanitary landfills
typically  receive  some  hazardous  waste   in  the  form  of
household hazardous  waste,   and  hazardous  waste  from  small
quantity  generators  as  defined  in  40  CFR  Part  261.10
(Definitions).   Depending upon the  definition  of a sanitary
landfill  used  by  the  individual  states, there  are  between
6,500 and 9,300 of these facilities permitted in the United
States  (U.S. EPA,  198"?) .

     Sanitary  landfills  can  cause   considerable  harm  to
sensitive  ecosystems  if  they   are  not properly  located,
designed, and  managed.   These facilities have the potential
to adversely affect sensitive ecosystems,  such  as  wetlands
and  deepwater  habitats, either through  habitat  alterations
or  through  the  migration   of  contaminants  from  sanitary
landfills.   In order to evaluate  the  seriousness  of this
problem,  information  is needed on  the nearness  of sanitary
landfills to wetlands and surface water  bodies.  The purpose
of  this  study is  to  document  the  proximity  of  sanitary
landfills  in  the  state   of  Louisiana  to  wetlands  and
deepwater  habitats  (i.e.,   rivers,   lakes,  streams,  bays,
etc.).    This  report  gives  statewide  summary   results;  a
companion report,  "Proximity of Louisiana Sanitary Landfills
to  Wetlands  and  Deepwater  Habitats,  Data  on  Individual
Landfills," presents data on the individual landfills.
                           CONCLUSIONS
1.   Most  sanitary  landfills in the  state  of Louisiana are
     located in or are close to either wetlands or deepwater
     habitats.   Most  are located  close to  wetlands while
     more than half are close to deepwater habitats.

2.   These facilities have the potential'to adversely affect
     sensitive  ecosystems,   such  as wetlands  and deepwater
     habitats, either through habitat alterations or through
     the migration of contaminants  from  sanitary landfills.

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                    MATERIALS  AND  METHODS
     The source  of  data  used to determine  the  locations of
the sanitary landfills was  the  computer  data file developed
by Development Planning and Research Associates, Inc. (DPRA)
for use by the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency's Office
of Solid Waste in its  RCRA Subtitle D program  (DPRA, 1986).
The DPRA  data file  includes  information on  7,683 sanitary
landfills, and 6,849 of these  facilities have  latitude and
longitude  coordinates  in  degrees,  minutes,  and  seconds
specified in the data file.  Each set of coordinates defines
a  point  which  represents  the geographic  location  of  a
sanitary  landfill  (Figure 1} .   In addition, the  data  file
contains the  names  of  the landfills  and  data on the cities
or  counties   in  which  the  landfills reside.    Individual
states  are  responsible  for  permitting   sanitary  landfills
under  Subtitle  D   of  RCRA  and,  since   DPRA  obtained  the
information  for  the data  file  from  state sources,  the  site
location  information varies  in terms of  accuracy  and the
point chosen to represent the location  of  each facility.

     Four  types  of  errors  or  omissions   were identified in
the DPRA  data file.   These  errors  and  omissions include:
missing latitude and  longitude,  missing state  code,  wrong
state code, and erroneous latitude/longitude.  The first two
items  relate  to  data  that were  omitted  in  the  facility
record.  Facilities that did not have latitude and longitude
coordinates  were not  used in  this  study  while facilities
that did not have a state code  were assigned an appropriate
state   code   by  comparing  the   latitude  and  longitude
coordinates  for  the facilities with maps  of  the  various
states.   The last  two items relate  to  errors  in  the  data
file.   Facilities with the wrong  state  code were corrected
and  included  in the  study.    The  last  item relates  to
erroneous  latitude  and/or  longitude   records.     Where
discovered,  the  erroneous coordinate(s)   were corrected,  if
possible.    Errors  may  still  exist  in  the  DPRA  data file;
however,  it  is  believed  that  the  overall  results  and
conclusions   contained   in  this   report    will    not   be
significantly  affected,  since  the  number  of  errors  is
probably small.

     Wetlands typically form part of  a continuous transition
zone  between  uplands  and  open  water.     Therefore,   the
delineation of the upper and lower boundaries in any wetland
definition is  somewhat arbitrary.    There  are a  number of
definitions of wetlands that  have  been developed for use in
classifying natural environments or for regulatory purposes.
While  these  definitions  are not  identical,  they  are  very
similar.   The  selection of a specific definition for use in

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this study  was determined  by  the availability  of  national
wetlands and deepwater habitats geographic data.

     The most  extensive,  consistent source  of  wetlands and
deepwater  habitats  geographic  data  is  the  U.S.  Fish and
wildlife Service's  National Wetlands Inventory  (NWI).   The
NWI  has   developed  detailed,   large-scale  maps   for  a
significant portion of the  United States.   To date,  wetland
maps have been developed for approximately 40 percent of the
contiguous  48  states,  10  percent  of  Alaska,   and  all  of
Hawaii.  Large-scale NWI maps  typically  are either 1:24,000
scale  or  1:63,360  scale  U.S.  Geological  Survey quadrangle
maps;  however,  most  are   1:24,000   scale.    Wetlands  and
deepwater  habitats  are  delineated  on  the  NWI  maps.    The
delineation of wetlands and deepwater habitats was developed
using  remote  sensing  techniques  and  field investigations.
The NWI maps  are  developed in accordance  with  the National
Map  Accuracy   Standard   (NMAS)   (U.S. GS,  1979).   The NWI
1:24,000  scale  maps  used  in  this  study  are  accurate,
according  to  the  NMAS,   to   within  40  feet  of  ground
measurements.     These  maps  are  particularly  useful  for
plotting  the   location   of  sanitary   landfills   and  for
determining the  proximity  of  these facilities  to  wetlands
and deepwater habitats.

     The NWI maps use the definitions (contained in Tables 1
and 2)  and the  classification  system (contained in Table 3)
for wetlands  and deepwater  habitats developed  by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Cowardin  et al.,  1979).  Wetlands
are  defined  as lands  transitional  between  terrestrial and
aquatic systems where the water  table is usually at  or near
the  surface,   or  the  land  is  covered  by  shallow  water.
Deepwater habitats  are defined  as permanently flooded  lands
lying  below  the deepwater  boundary  of wetlands.  For more
expansive definitions and an explanation of the  definitions,
as  well  as the  boundary limits,  see Tables  1 and  2; for
further details see Cowardin et al.  (1979).   The U.S. Fish
and  Wildlife   Service's  classification  of  wetlands  and
deepwater habitats  is hierarchical in nature proceeding  from
general to  specific (Cowardin et  al.,  1979).   There  are 5
systems, 10 subsystems,  and 55  classes.   In this study only
the  "system",  i.e,  the  complex  of wetlands  and deepwater
habitats  that  share  the influence  of  similar hydrologic,
geomorphologic,  chemical,  or  biological  factors, was used
for classification  purposes.  The definitions as well as the
boundary   limits    of  the   five   systems,   i.e.,   Marine,
Estuarine, Riverine,  Lacustrine,  and Palustrine,  are  given
in  Table 3; for  further  details see Cowardin et al.   (1979).
The  first  four systems,  i.e.,  Marine,  Estuarine,  Riverine,
and Lacustrine, include both wetlands and  deepwater habitats
whereas the Palustrine System includes only  wetlands.

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     In order to  link  the  location  of sanitary landfills in
the DPRA data file  to  the  appropriate NWI  maps,  we used the
information on the T-70 computer tape obtained from the U.S.
Geological Survey (National Cartographic Information Center,
1987).   The  NWI  large-scale maps were  developed using U.S.
Geological Survey's quadrangle maps  as  base  maps.   The T-70
computer tape  contains 67  fields of  information  including
latitude and longitude that  can  be  used for  identifying the
1:24,000 scale  maps,   the  map  names,   and the  state  codes
assigned to  the  maps.   Sanitary landfill location  data on
the  DPRA   computer  file tape were  matched  by  a  computer
program against location data on the US Geological Survey T-
70 computer tape in order to identify the specific maps that
contain sanitary  landfills and/or  that would be  needed to
evaluate the wetlands and deepwater habitats  that are within
1 mile  of  each  sanitary landfill.   Sanitary landfills that
were located on the edge or  in  the  corner  of a map required
more than  one map  (i.e.,  two to  four  maps)  to complete the
interpretation.  The map names   obtained  from the  computer
matching were sorted by  state and compared with inventories
of available NWI maps.

     Each  sanitary  landfill included  in  this study  was
located on NWI large-scale  maps  using standard  cartographic
techniques.  Nearness  or proximity  of sanitary landfills to
wetlands and deepwater habitats was determined by drawing
three  concentric  regions  around  the  point representing the
location of  each  landfill.   The  radii  of   the concentric
regions were:  1/4 mile, 1/2 mile,   and 1  mile  (Figure 1) .
The  occurrence   or  nonoccurrence   of the  wetlands  and
deepwater habitat systems in each concentric region was then
recorded.

     Many  sanitary  landfills are typically  of the order of
100  acres  in size.   For example,  in  the state of Florida
about  35   percent  of  the   active   sanitary landfills  are
between 50 and  150 acres  in size,  with  the average size
being   110   acres  (Florida  Department   of  Environmental
Regulation, 1987).  A landfill that is  100 acres in size and
uniformly  distributed  about its  latitude/longitude  point
designation  will  have  a  radius  of approximately  1/4 mile
and, therefore, will  approximate the boundary of  the first
concentric 1/4-mile radius  region (Figure  1) .    Undoubtedly,
most of the  landfills  located  in a  1/4-mile  radius region
containing either wetlands  or deepwater habitats  should be
considered to be  located in wetlands or deepwater habitats.
Since landfills vary considerably in size and shape, some of
the  landfills  located  in   the   1/2-mile  radius  and  1-mile
radius  regions  containing  wetlands  or deepwater  habitats
will  probably also be  located  in  wetlands  or  deepwater
habitats.   The exact  geographic  boundary of  the  landfill is
not  the  critical  consideration  for  determining  adverse

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impacts associated with these facilities, since contaminants
can  migrate  off-site  to  affect  wetlands  and  deepwater
habitats.
                   RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
     We  obtained  data  on  the  proximity  of  41  sanitary
landfills  in  the   state   of  Louisiana  to  wetlands  and
deepwater habitats.   There are  93  sanitary landfills in the
DPRA  data  file   for the  state  of  Louisiana  and  47  (51
percent)  of  these  facilities have  NWI  maps  available for
site interpretation.  As a result,  46  (50 percent) of the 93
sanitary  landfills   in  the  state  of  Louisiana  are  not
included in this study.

     Approximately  79 percent of the sanitary landfills are
located  in  or  within 1/4  mile of  wetlands,  while 87 and 94
percent are located  in or  within 1/2 and 1 mile of wetlands,
respectively (Table  4 and  Figure 2).  Only three  (6 percent)
of the  landfills  are located more  than a mile from any type
of wetland.  Most sanitary  landfills  are  located either in
or are  close  to Palustrine  wetlands (approximately  72, 83,
and  92  percent  are located  in  or  within  1/4,   1/2,  and'  1
mile,  respectively,   of  a  Palustrine wetland).   Very few
sanitary  landfills  are  located  more  than  1/4 mile  from  a
wetland  (Figure  3) .  Only 9,  6,   and  6  percent  are located
1/4  to  1/2  mile,  1/2  to  1 mile,  and more than  1   mile,
respectively,   from the closest wetland.

     Approximately  32 percent of the sanitary landfills are
located  in  or  within 1/4  mile of  deepwater habitats,   while
47 and  66 percent are located in or  within 1/2 and 1 mile of
deepwater  habitats,  respectively  (Table  5  and  Figure 4) .
Sixteen  (34 percent)  of  the landfills are located more than
a  mile from any type of  deepwater  habitat.   Most  of the
facilities  that  are  located  in  or  that  are  close  to
deepwater  habitats  are  in  the   vicinity   of  Riverine  or
Estuarine deepwater habitats (i.e.,  60  percent  are located
in or  within  1 mile  of  a  Riverine deepwater habitat and 19
percent  are located in  or  within  1  mile of  an Estuarine
deepwater  habitat).     Approximately  34   percent  of  the
sanitary  landfills  are  located  more  than  1 mile  from the
closest  deepwater  habitat  (Figure  5),   while   19  and  15
percent  are located 1/2  to 1  mile and  1/4 to  1/2   mile,
respectively,   from the closest deepwater habitat.

     Approximately  81 percent of the sanitary landfills are
located  in  or  within  1/4  mile  of  either  wetlands  or
deepwater habitats,  while  89 and  96 percent  are  located in
or within  1/2  and  1 mile  of either  wetlands  or deepwater

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habitats, respectively  (Table  6  and  Figure 6).   Only two (4
percent) of the  landfills  are  located more than a mile from
either wetlands or deepwater habitats.  Most of the sanitary
landfills are  located  either in or  are  close  to Palustrine
or Riverine habitats  (approximately 72, 83, and 92 percent
are located in or within 1/4, 1/2, and 1 mile,  respectively,
of a  Palustrine  habitat while approximately 21,  36,  and 60
percent  are  located  in  or within  1/4,   1/2,  and  1  mile,
respectively,   of a Riverine habitat).   Very  few sanitary
landfills  are  located  more  than 1/4  mile  from  either  a
wetland  or deepwater habitat  (Figure 7) .   Only  9,  6,  and 4
percent are located 1/4 to  1/2 mile, 1/2 to 1 mile, and more
than  1  mile,  respectively,  from  either  the closest wetland
or deepwater habitat.

    •Most sanitary  landfills included in  this  study in the
state of Louisiana are  located either  in or are  close to
wetlands.  From this,  we conclude that these facilities have
the potential to adversely  affect sensitive ecosystems, such
as wetlands,  either through habitat  alterations or through
the migration  of contaminants from  sanitary  landfills.   In
addition, more than half  of the sanitary landfills included
in this  study  in the state  of Louisiana are located either
in or close to  deepwater habitats  and they also  have the
potential   for    adversely   affecting   these    sensitive
ecosystems.

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                      LITERATURE CITED

Cowardin,  L.M.,   V.  Carter,  F.C.  Golet,   and  E.T.  LaRoe.
     1979.     Classification  of  wetlands   and   deepwater
     habitats of the United States.  FWS/OBS-79/31.   103 pp.

Development  Planning  and Research  Associates,  Inc.   1986.
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  list  of municipal
     waste   landfills.       Computer    data   file,    U.S.
     Environmental Protection Agency.

Florida Department of Environmental  Regulation.   1987.   QMS
     25 data  file.   Computer data  file,  Florida  Department
     of Environmental Regulation.

Langbein, W.B. and K.T.  Iseri.   1960.   General introduction
     and  hydrologic  definitions manual of  hydrology.   Part
     I.   General  surface-water techniques.   US  Geol.  Surv.
     Water-Supply Paper 1541-A.  29 pp.

National  Cartographic  Information  Center.    1987.    T-70
     computer  tape.   Computer  data file,  National Mapping
     Division, U.S. Geological Survey.

U.S. EPA.   1987.   Resource  Conservation and Recovery Act
     Subtitle D report to Congress.  Final Draft Report, May
     28,  1987.

U.S. GS.    1979.   Maps  for  America,  First Edition.   U.S.
     Geological Survey.

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       Point Representing
       Location of the
       Landfill
Hypothetical
Landfill
Boundaries
                               Lacustrine Deepwater Habitat
                                        :  (lake)
               .*  Palustrine Wetland .
                      . (marsh)
Figure 1.  Hypothetical sanitary landfill showing the point (latitude and longitude coor-
          dinates) that represents the location of the landfill, the concentric regions used
          to determine the nearness or proximity of the sanitary landfill to wetlands and
          deepwater habitats, and the boundary of a 100-acre sanitary landfill distrib-
          uted approximately evenly around its point location (a 100-acre sanitary land-
          fill uniformly distriubted around a point will have a radius of approximately
          1/4 mile).
                                       8

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  Palustrine
 Lacustrine
   Riverine
  Estuarine
    Marine
All Systems
                        20
40           60

    Percent
                               In or within 1 mile

                               In or within 1/2 mile

                               In or within 1/4 mile
80
  i
100
             Figure 2.  Proximity of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to wetlands

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 1/2-1 mile
1/4 -1/2 mite
  < 1/4 mile
   Figure 3.  Distance of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to the closest wetland.

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 Lacustrine
   Riverine
 Esturarine
    Marine
All Systems

                          In or within 1 mile
                          In or within 1/2 mile

                          In or within 1/4 mile
                                 32
                       20
40           60
    Percent
80           100
      Figure 4.  Proximity of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to deepwater habitats.

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            mile
       1/2 -1 mile
     1/4 -1/2 mite
        <, 1/4 mile
32
                0           20         40         60          80          100
                                           Percent
Figure 5.  Distance of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to the closest deepwater habitat.

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                                                                           92
       Palustrine
      Lacustrine
        Riverine
       Estuarine
         Marine
     All Systems
in or within 1 mile





in or within 1/2 mile





in or within 1/4 mile
Figure 6.  Proximity of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to either wetlands or deepwater habitats.

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    > 1 mile • 4
 1/2-1 mile
1/4 -1/2 mile
    1/4 mile
  Figure 7. Distance of 47 Louisiana sanitary landfills to either the
            closest wetland or deepwater habitat,

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  TABLE  1.  DEFINITION OF  WETLANDS  USED  BY  THE  U.S.  FISH  AND
        WILDLIFE SERVICE FROM COWARDIN ET AL.  (1979)
Definition:
               Wetlands   are  lands   transitional  between
               terrestrial  and  aquatic  systems   where  the
               water table is usually at or near the surface
               or the land is covered by shallow water.  For
               purposes of this classification wetlands must
               have  one  or  more  of  the  following  three
               attributes:  (1)  at  least periodically,  the
               land  supports  predominantly  hydrophytes;  (2)
               the   substrate  is  predominantly  undrained
               hydric soil; and <3) the substrate  is nonsoil
               and  is  saturated  with  water  or  covered by
               shallow water  at some time during the growing
               season of each year.

Explanation:
               The term wetland  includes  a  variety of areas
               that  fall  into  one  of  five  categories:  (1)~
               areas with hydrophytes and hydric soils,  such
               as  those  commonly known  as  marshes,  swamps,
               and  bogs;  (2) areas  without  hydrophytes but
               with  hydric  soils-for example,  flats  where
               drastic  fluctuation   in  water  level,   wave
               action, turbidity,  or high  concentration of
               salts may  prevent  the growth of hydrophytes;
                (3)   areas  with  hydrophytes  but  nonhydric
               soils,  such  as  margins  of  impoundments or
               excavations  where  hydrophytes  have  become
               established  but  hydric  soils  have  not yet
               developed;  (4) areas without  soils but  with
               hydrophytes   such  as   the   seaweed-covered
               portion  of  rocky  shores;  and  (5) wetlands
               without soil and without hydrophytes, such as
               gravel  beaches   or   rocky   shores  without
               vegetation.
                            15

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                    TABLE 1. (continued)
Limits:
               The upland limit of  wetland  is designated as
               (I)   the    boundary   between   land   with
               predominantly hydrophytic cover and land with
               predominantly mesophytic or xerophytic cover;
               (2)  the   boundary  between   soil   that  is
               predominantly   hydric  and   soil   that  is
               predominantly nonhydric;  or   (3)  in  the case
               of wetlands  without  vegetation or  soil, the
               boundary  between  land that   is  flooded  or
               saturated  at some  time each  year  and land
               that  is  not.   The  boundary  between wetland
               and  deepwater  habitat  in  the  Marine  and
               Estuarine    systems    coincides   with   the
               elevation of the extreme  low  water of spring
               tide;    permanently     flooded    areas   are
               considered   deepwater  habitats   in    these.
               systems.   The  boundary between  wetland and
               deepwater    habitat    in     the    Riverine,
               Lacustrine,  and  Palustrine  systems  lies at a
               depth  of 2  m  (6.6   feet)  below low  water;
               however, if  emergents,  shrubs,  or trees grow
               beyond   this  depth   at   any  time,    their
               deepwater edge is the boundary.
                            16

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 TABLE 2. DEFINITION OF DEEPWATER HABITATS USED BY THE U.S.
    FISH  AND  WILDLIFE  SERVICE  FROM COWARDIN  ET  AL.  (1979)
Definition:
               Deepwater  Habitats  are  permanently  flooded
               lands  lying  below the deepwater  boundary of
               wetlands.      Deepwater   habitats   include
               environments where surface water is permanent
               and  often  deep,  so  that water,  rather than
               air, is the principal medium within which the
               dominant organisms live, whether  or not they
               are  attached   to  the   substrate.     As  in
               wetlands,    the    dominant    plants    are
               hydrophytes;  however,   the   substrates  are
               considered nonsoil because  the water  is too
               deep to support emergent vegetation.

Explanation;
               Wetlands and  Deepwater Habitats  are  defined
               separately  because  traditionally  the  term
               wetland  has  not   included   deep  permanent
               water; however,  both must be considered in an
               ecological approach to classification.

Limits:
               The  boundary between  wetland  and  deepwater
               habitat  in  the  Marine and  Estuarine  systems
               coincides with  the elevation  of  the  extreme
               low water of spring tide; permanently flooded
               areas  are  considered  deepwater  habitats in
               these  systems.   The  boundary between wetland
               and   deepwater   habitat  in   the  Riverine,
               Lacustrine, and Palustrine  systems  lies at a
               depth  of 2  m.  (6.6  feet)  below  low  water;
               however, if  emergents,  shrubs, or trees grow
               beyond  this   depth   at  any   time,   their
               deepwater edge  is the boundary.
                            17

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  TABLE 3. DEFINITIONS OF THE FIVE MAJOR SYSTEMS*  (MARINE,
 ESTUARINE, RIVERINE, LACUSTRINE, AND PALUSTRINE**) USED BY
 THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN CLASSIFYING WETLANDS
     AND DEEPWATER HABITATS FROM COWARDIN ET AL. (1979)
Marine:
   Definition:
   Limits:
               The Marine  System  consists  of the open ocean
               overlying   the   continental  shelf  and  its
               associated  high-energy  coastline.    Marine
               habitats  are   exposed  to   the   waves  and
               currents  of the  open  ocean  and the  water
               regimes  are determined primarily  by  the ebb
               and flow of oceanic tides.  Salinities exceed
               30 °/00  with  little  or  no  dilution  except
               outside  the mouths  of  estuaries.   Shallow
               coastal   indentations    or   bays   without
               appreciable  freshwater  inflow,   and  coasts
               with  exposed  rocky islands that  provide the
               mainland with little  or  no  shelter from wind
               and  waves,  are  also  considered  part  of the
               Marine  System  because  they  support  typical
               marine biota.
               The Marine System extends from the outer edge
               of the  continental  shelf shoreward to one of
               three lines:  (I)  the landward limit of tidal
               inundation   (extreme  high  water  of  spring
               tides)/   including   the  splash   zone  from
               breaking  waves;  (2)  the  seaward  limit  of
               wetland emergents,  trees,  or  shrubs;  or  (3)
               the  seaward limit  of the  Estuarine  System,
               where  this  limit  is  determined  by  factors
               other than vegetation.
     The  term system  refers to  a  complex  of  wetlands and
     deepwater habitats that shares the influence of  similar
     hydrologic,  geomorphologic,  chemical,  or  biological
     factors.

     The   first   four   systems,   i.e.,  Marine,  Estuarine,
     Riverine,  and  Lacustrine,   include   both  wetland and
     deepwater   habitats   whereas  the   Palustrine   System
     includes only wetland habitats.
                            18

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                    TABLE 3.  (continued)
Estuarine:

   Definition:
   Limits:
               The  Estuarine  System  consists  of deepwater
               tidal  habitats  and  adjacent  tidal  wetlands
               that  are  usually  semienclosed  by  land  but
               have  open,  partly  obstructed,  or  sporadic
               access to  the  open ocean,  and in which ocean
               water  is  at   least  occasionally  diluted by
               freshwater   runoff  from  the   land.     The
               salinity may  be periodically increased above
               that of the open ocean by evaporation.  Along
               some    low-energy    coastlines    there   is
               appreciable dilution of  sea water.  Offshore
               areas  with   typical  estuarine  plants  and
               animals,  such  as  red mangroves  (Rhizophora.
               mangle)   and   eastern   oysters  (Crassostrea
               virginica) ,   are   also    included  in  the
               Estuarine  System.
               The Estuarine System extends  (1) upstream and
               landward to where ocean-derived salts measure
               less  than  0.5  °/00  during  the  period  of
               average annual  low  flow;  (2)  to an  imaginary
               line  closing  the mouth  of a  river,  bay,  or
               sound;  and   (3)  to  the  seaward   limit  of
               wetland  emergents,   shrubs,   or trees  where
               they  are not  included in (2) .  The  Estuarine
               System  also   includes  off-shore   areas  of
               continuously diluted sea water.
                            19

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                    TABLE 3.  (continued)
Riverine:
   Definition:
   Limits:
               The Riverine System includes all wetlands and
               deepwater   habitats   contained   within   a
               channel,  with  two  exceptions:  (1)  wetlands
               dominated   by    trees,   shrubs,   persistent
               emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or  lichens,  and
               (2)  habitats  with water  containing  ocean-
               derived  salts  in  excess   of  0.5 °/00.    A
               channel is  "an open  conduit  either naturally
               or artificially created which periodically or
               continuously contains moving  water,  or which
               forms a connecting link between two bodies of
               standing water"  (Langbein and Iseri, 1960).
               The  Riverine   System  is  bounded   on  the
               landward side by upland,  by  the channel bank
               (including natural  and man-made  levees),  or
               by  wetland   dominated  by   trees,   shrubs,
               persistent  emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or
               lichens.   In braided streams,  the  system is
               bounded by the banks forming the outer limits
               of  the  depression  within which the braiding
               occurs.   The Riverine  System  terminates  at
               the downstream end where the concentration of
               ocean-derived salts  in  the  water exceeds 0,5
               °/00 during the period  of annual average low
               flow, or where the channel enters a lake.  It
               terminates   at   the   upstream  end   where
               tributary  streams   originate,   or  where  the
               channel  leaves  a lake.   Springs discharging
               into  a channel  are  considered part  of the
               Riverine System.
                            20

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                    TABLE 3. (continued)
Lacustrine:
   Definition:
   Limits:
               The Lacustrine  System includes  wetlands and
               deepwater habitats with  all  of the following
               characteristics:    (1)     situated    in   a
               topographic  depression  or  a  dammed   river
               channel;    (2)    lacking    trees,    shrubs,
               persistent  emergents,   emergent  mosses  or
               lichens with greater than 30% areal coverage;
               and  (3)  total  area exceeds  8  ha {20 acres) .
               Similar   wetland   and   deepwater   habitats
               totaling less than  8  ha  are  also included in
               the  Lacustrine  System   if  an   active   wave-
               formed or bedrock  shoreline  feature makes up
               all or part of  the boundary, or if the  water
               depth  in  the  deepest  part  of  the   basin
               exceeds  2  m   (6.6  feet)   at   low  water.
               Lacustrine waters  may be  tidal  or nontidal,
               but  ocean-derived  salinity   is  always  less
               than 0.5 °/00
               The Lacustrine System is bounded by upland or
               by  wetland  dominated  by   trees,   shrubs,
               persistent  emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or
               lichens.     Lacustrine  systems   formed  by
               damming  a  river channel  are  bounded  by  a
               contour  approximating  the  normal  spillway
               elevation  or normal  pool  elevation,  except
               where Palustrine wetlands  extend lakeward of
               the boundary.   Where a river  enters  a  lake,
               the  extension  of  the  Lacustrine  shoreline
               forms the Riverine-Lacustrine boundary.
                            21

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                    TABLE 3.  (continued)
Palustrine:

   Definition:
               The  Palustrine  System  includes  all nontidal
               wetlands   dominated    by   trees,   shrubs,
               persistent   emergents,   emergent  mosses  or
               lichens, and all  such -wetlands that occur in
               tidal  areas  where  salinity  due  to  ocean-
               derived  salts  is below  0.5 °/00.    It  also
               includes  wetlands  lacking  such  vegetation,
               but   with   all   of    the   following   four
               characteristics:  (1)  area less than 8 ha  (20
               acres);  (2)   active  wave-formed  or  bedrock
               shoreline  features  lacking;  (3)  water depth
               in the deepest part of basin  less  than 2 m at
               low  water;   and   (4)  salinity due  to ocean-
               derived salts less  than 0.5 °/00.

   Limits:
               The  Palustrine  System is  bounded by uplands
               or by any of the  other four systems.
                            22

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TABLE 4. NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF SANITARY LANDFILLS IN
       LOUISIANA THAT ARE PROXIMATE TO WETLANDS*
              Number  and  percentage  of  sanitary  landfills
                Located in
                or within
                 1/4  mile
Located in
 or within
 1/2 mile
Located in
 or within
  1 mile
Wetland svstem
All systems**
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
Palustrine
No.
37
0
7
0
0
34
%
78.7
0.0
14.9
0.0
0.0
72.3
NO.
41
0
8
1
1
39
%
87.2
0.0
17.0
2.1
2.1
83.0
No.
44
1
9
2
2
43
%
93.6
2.1
19.1
4.3
4.3
91.5
   There  are 93 sanitary  landfills  in the DPRA data  file
   for  the  state  of  Louisiana  and 47  (50.5 percent)  of
   these   facilities   have  NWI  maps  available  for  site
   interpretation.   As a result, 46  (49.5 percent)  of the
   93 sanitary  landfills in the  state  of Louisiana are not
   included in  this  study.

   Three   (6.4   percent)   of  the   47   sanitary   landfills
   included in this  study in the  state of  Louisiana  are
   located more than a mile from any type of  wetland.
                         23

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   TABLE  5.  NUMBER AND  PERCENTAGE  OF  SANITARY  LANDFILLS  IN
     LOUISIANA THAT ARE PROXIMATE  TO  DEEPWATER HABITATS*
                Number and percentage of sanitary landfills
                  Located in     Located in      Located in
                   or  within      or within        or  within
                   1/4 mile       1/2 mile         1 mile
Deepwater
habitat system
All systems**
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
No.
15
0
5
10
2
%
31.9
0.0
10.6
21.3
4.3
No.
22
0
8
17
3
%
46.8
0.0
17.0
36.2
6.4
No.
31
0
9
28
7
%
66.0
0.0
19.1
59.6
14.9
     There are  93  sanitary landfills in the  DPRA data file
     for  the state  of  Louisiana  and  47  (50.5  percent)  of
     these  facilities  have  NWI  maps   available  for  site
     interpretation.  As  a result, 46  (49.5 percent) of the
     93 sanitary landfills in the  state of Louisiana are not
     included in this study.

     Sixteen  (34.0 percent) of the 47 sanitary landfills
     included in this study in the state of Louisiana are
     located more than a mile from any type of deepwater
     habitats.
                            24

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   TABLE  6.  NUMBER AND  PERCENTAGE  OF  SANITARY LANDFILLS  IN
LOUISIANA THAT ARE PROXIMATE TO EITHER WETLANDS OR DEEPWATER
                          HABITATS*
                Number and percentage of sanitary landfills
                  Located in
                   or within
                   1/4 mile
Located in
 or within
 1/2 mile
Located in
 or within
  1 mile
Svstem
All systems**
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
Palustrine***
No.
38
0
8
10
2
34
%
80.9
0.0
17.0
21.3
4.3
72.3
No.
42
0
10
17
4
39
%
89.4
0.0
21.3
36.2
8.5
83.0
No.
45
1
10
28
8
43
%
95.7
2.1
21.3
59.6
17.0
91.5-
     There are  93  sanitary landfills in the  DPRA data file
     for  the state  of Louisiana  and  47  (50.5  percent)  of
     these  facilities  have  NWI  maps   available  for  site
     interpretation.   As  a result,  46  {49.5 percent) of the
     93 sanitary landfills in the state of Louisiana are not
     included in this  study.
* *
     Two  {4.3 percent) of the 47 sanitary landfills included
     in  this study  in  the  state  of Louisiana  are located
     more than  a  mile from any type of wetland or deepwater
     habitat.

***  The Palustrine  system includes only -wetlands.
                            25

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