ABSTRACT
In the Province of Ontario, Canada, the proponent of a disposal site is required to demonstrate that the proposed facility will not impact on the present or future 'reasonable use'
of groundwater at the site boundary (MoEE, 1993a). In essence, this recognizes that over the long term it is almost impossible to guarantee that there will be no impact on groundwater due to a waste disposal facility. While it is impossible to prove that any facility will never cause an environmental problem, it is possible to design a facility which, based on what we know today, should not impact on the reasonable use of groundwater, and hence on the environment. Similarly, it is also possible to identify designs which, based on what we know today, have a reasonable likelihood of contaminating groundwater and the environment beyond the site. It may be that it will be tens or even hundreds of years before there is a serious impact; however, a long time to impact does not justify a design in the context of modern attitudes towards protecting the environment, not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.
