The Pungent History of America’s Garbage Mountains, Popular Mechanics, 2021

Mike McLaughlin helps Popular Mechanics readers understand why we build on former dumps and closed landfills. Building with old plastics and terraforming mountains of garbage may seem like somewhat of a backward solution, but the best alternative—developing solutions that create less waste in the first place—is slowly evolving too.

 

 

Learn more about brownfields and land remediation. The site includes information about the process and funding opportunities. This video, Capitalize On Upcoming Opportunities to Redevelop Contaminated Properties, provides even more examples and details of what communities are accomplishing now!

 

Michael McLaughlinA long-time reader of Popular Mechanics, Mike McLaughlin, PE, JD, is SCS Engineers’ Senior Vice President of Environmental Services and our National Specialist on Brownfields & Landfill Redevelopment and Electric Utilities. He is a licensed engineer and attorney with over 40 years of professional experience providing advice on environmental matters. He is an expert on environmental compliance, remediation, and allocation of response costs. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar Environmental Law Section, and the Budget Officer of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA SEER).