The distance would necessarily depend on the size of the town and outlying development. Is this research for a developing country location that is predominantly rural in character? Are you looking for an answer from a regulatory viewpoint or from health, nuisance and environmental considerations?

What I meant is the distance according  to the environmental legislations  (law). For example in USA according to the EPA or the WHO. Thank you for your sharing. 

Nabeel,

The regulations that I am familiar with (USA) do not specify a 'minimum distance'. The regulations require that project siting needs to account for size of the facility, characteristics of the waste, pollution controls to be used, specific site characteristics, size and location of populations potentially affected, and the need to minimize any potential 'nuisance' conditions.

There is not a simple answer to your questions and that is why a thorough site-specific analysis is always needed. With respect to a 'dominant direction' that also depends on the specific site, local terrain and meteorology.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Tim

Dear Tim Mccarthy firstly please refer to this regulation first so that we will become confident from the scientific facts. Secondly there is an important question  (do you mean that for a small community the distance is lesser?). Logically this is untrue. Here in Iraq this distance must not be less than 6 km in a direction to the south of the town as the dominant wind is North-West. Yes it depends on many variables like the residential expansion, nuisance...... but I think there must be a minimum distance. This is my opinion. Best regards. 

In Alberta, Canada, this distance is referred to as a Setback.  I have attached a DRAFT report completed by the Province of Alberta that includes a review of regulations related to setbacks across Canada.   Specific to your question, the challenge can arise that after waste management facilities are sited significant distances away from urban centers, the urban centers may grow closer and closer to the waste management facilities. Hence the importance of setbacks to set the minimum separation - facilities located km away from homes are now 450 m away from them (300 m away from closed facilities). In looking at the changing regulations over the years, protection of water and managing vermin and nuisance complaints were important drivers.  Odour and air quality issues have been mitigated with eliminated or reduced controlled burning and with daily soil cover starting in the 1960s.  I recall reading a paper that studied how waste management facilities 'pulled' development closer to them, through the development of major roadways and related infrastructure, but I have lost that reference.  If anyone recalls that paper and could share it with me, I would very much appreciate it.

I can reference the following information regarding the siting of solid waste landfills in the state of Ohio, US:

 • Solid waste landfills cannot be located within sand and gravel pits or limestone or sandstone quarries, or over sole source aquifers or sand and gravel aquifers that yield more than 100 gallons-per-minute (gpm).

• Ground water resources used for public drinking water are specifically protected by prohibiting the location of solid waste landfills within a 5-year time-of-travel for ground water flow to a public water supply well or within a designated drinking water source protection area for a public water system using ground water.

• Solid waste landfills must be located at least 1,000 feet from residential water supply wells and developed springs.

• Ohio is the only state with a siting regulation that provides a specific setback distance (1,000 feet from the limits of waste placement) for national and state parks, wildlife areas, and recreation areas.

• Ohio's property line setback for landfills (300 feet from the limits of waste placement) and domicile setback (1,000 feet from the limits of waste placement) exceeds setback requirements in all other states.

These requirements are found in Ohio Administrative Code chapter 3745.

Thanks a lot dear Tim Mccarthy and dear Carol Kehoe for the precious information. Your detailed information were perfectly enough. 

I think it should be at least 10 km away from city. Regarda

Dear Ali hadi Ghawi., refer to Iraqi regulation no.25 for the year 1967 by environmental protection agency. There you can find the minimum  distance to the nearest residential expansion in the town is 6 km,  so your answer is near . Best regards.