Final answer:
Corporations often dump waste into the environment because ecologically safer alternatives are costly. (option d) Harmful environmental impacts from waste disposal include groundwater contamination and air pollution. Financial constraints and other economic considerations often outweigh environmental concerns for corporations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major reason why most corporations dump their wastes onto the land and into the air and water is primarily because they find it too costly to develop ecologically safer alternatives. (option d) Decisions in citing hazardous waste facilities are driven by economics, including the high costs associated with safer disposal methods. Furthermore, landfill and incineration, the two primary means of waste disposal in the United States, both present environmental challenges. Landfill sites do not decompose materials like plastics, leading to potential groundwater contamination. Incineration releases carcinogens into the air and contributes to air pollution and smog. In addition, multinationals may harm the local environment of the countries they operate in by contributing to deforestation, depletion of clean water, and air pollution, often leaving the burden of coping with the environmental damage due to the lack of financial resources.