Assessment of Mississippi Landfill Capacity in Relation to Waste Generation and Land-Use Constraints

<p>Municipal solid waste (MSW) management presents a growing challenge in Mississippi as population trends, socioeconomic change and regional development continue to place pressure on existing landfill capacity. This thesis examines waste generation and disposal patterns from 2000 through 2022 across Mississippi counties, with projections extending to 2050. Historical landfill tonnage data was gathered and compiled from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and analyzed using regression models in Excel and RStudio, with forecasts generated for both in-state and out-of-state waste flow. Results highlight significant variations among landfills, including differing closure timelines, changing county service areas and notable shifts in out-of-state contributions. To conceptualize these trends, per-capita waste generation and median household income (adjusted for inflation via the Consumer Price Index) were incorporated into the analysis.</p> <p>A GIS case study focuses on Mississippi’s three coastal counties, where land-use constraints and existing development will likely restrict future landfill siting. Using layers such as wetlands, protected nature areas, FAA runway buffers, and parcel data, this analysis evaluates if sufficient space exists for additional landfill facilities in these counties. These findings suggest coastal areas may eventually need to rely on transportation of generated waste to inland facilities. Out of state imports remain a contributing factor in overall planning, but the primary concern in ensuring the long-term disposal options for Mississippi’s own waste along the Gulf Coast.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Anderson, Jason C

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Kayla Stan
• Dr. David Cochran
• Dr. George Raber

• mississippi municipal solid waste
• landfill capacity forecasting
• waste generation trends
• GIS landfill suitability
• coastal Mississippi land use constraints
• Other Environmental Sciences
• Sustainability

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1181

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-2275