Outcomes and Expectations
Regulators who reviewed the performance of closed landfills had a problem in recent years. While the specs for fill and cap materials are sound, in practice the physical outcome often fell far short of expectations.
Guidance documents from June of 2008 (Guidance for Beneficial Use of Soil and Non-Soil Material in the Remediation of Contaminated Sites and Closure of Solid Waste Landfills - June 2008) established meaningful guidelines for the industry, and set realistic methodologies for the characterization of all fill imported into landfill sites by contractors and engineers. Nonetheless, disappointing performance of caps and drainage layers placed into serious question the viability of the guidance. Was this a shortcoming of the guidance, or of oversight?
A stakeholder process initiated in June of 2010 resulted in new guidance that was finalized in August of 2011. A transitional stage was established, to run through May of 2012. Changes to be instituted in May of 2012 will support new rule requirements. So right now we are in that transitional state where adaptations should become a part of every professional's gameplan. Exactly what we will face in May of 2012 may be subject to speculation, but intelligent planning now is absolute necessary to avoid added expense and costly delays.
The most basic principles of the new fill guidance are summarized as the following:
Impact Environmental Consulting is committed to performing responsive, efficient and comprehensive environmental services that remain current with these changes. For a complete listing of services, please visit www.impactenvironmental.com.
Guidance documents from June of 2008 (Guidance for Beneficial Use of Soil and Non-Soil Material in the Remediation of Contaminated Sites and Closure of Solid Waste Landfills - June 2008) established meaningful guidelines for the industry, and set realistic methodologies for the characterization of all fill imported into landfill sites by contractors and engineers. Nonetheless, disappointing performance of caps and drainage layers placed into serious question the viability of the guidance. Was this a shortcoming of the guidance, or of oversight?
A stakeholder process initiated in June of 2010 resulted in new guidance that was finalized in August of 2011. A transitional stage was established, to run through May of 2012. Changes to be instituted in May of 2012 will support new rule requirements. So right now we are in that transitional state where adaptations should become a part of every professional's gameplan. Exactly what we will face in May of 2012 may be subject to speculation, but intelligent planning now is absolute necessary to avoid added expense and costly delays.
The most basic principles of the new fill guidance are summarized as the following:
- Like-on-Like: Limit types of contamination
- 75th Percentile: Limit the concentration of contamination to be used as fill
- Volume Limit: Quantities of fill are limited to the amount needed to complete the remediation
Impact Environmental Consulting is committed to performing responsive, efficient and comprehensive environmental services that remain current with these changes. For a complete listing of services, please visit www.impactenvironmental.com.
