Lagoon : A shallow, artificial treatment pond where sunlight, bacterial action, and oxygen work to purify wastewater. An aerated lagoon is a treatment pond that uses oxygen to speed up the natural process of biological decomposition of organic wastes. A lagoon is regulated as a point source under the Clean Water Act if there is a direct surface water discharge.
Lakes : Substantial inland bodies of standing water.
Landfill : A cavity in the ground where nonhazardous waste is piled up and eventually covered with dirt and topsoil. Today's landfills are deemed sanitary and require special technology to eliminate methane gas.
Landscape : The characteristics, patterns, and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment, and its social patterns.
Life Cycle Assessment: Methodology developed to assess a product's full environmental costs, from raw material to final disposal; a process to evaluate the environmental results connected with a product, process or activity.
Light Pollution: Environmental pollution consisting of harmful or annoying light. For example, artificial light that eliminates starlight.
Litter : Waste material that is discarded on the ground or otherwise disposed of improperly. Also, the top layer of the forest floor, made up of dead sticks, leaves, and branches.
Load : The amount of electric power drawn at a specific time from an electric system, or the total power drawn from the system. Peak load is the amount of power drawn at the time of highest demand.
Logging : The cutting down of trees for commercial use.
Low-Emission Vehicles: Vehicles that emit less pollution when compared to internal combustion engines.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) : Less hazardous waste generated by hospitals, research laboratories, and certain industries. The Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and EPA share responsibilities for managing them.
Wilson Community College | P.O. Box 4305 • 902 Herring Avenue | Wilson, NC 27893 | Phone: (252) 291-1195 | Fax: (252) 243-7148