How will the new landfill be sited to prevent groundwater pollution?
Historic landfills, constructed prior to stricter environmental regulations, were often placed at convenient locations, rather than locations specifically and thoughtfully selected to protect the environment. This project employs a thorough screening process for candidate sites that takes into account the hydrogeologic setting so as not to propose landfill locations where groundwater resources are vulnerable to pollution from landfill activities.
How will the new landfill be constructed to prevent storm water pollution?
Modern state-of-the-art landfills are designed to minimize the amount of rainfall run-on that could come into contact with waste. Facilities are designed with slopes to direct water away from waste areas and any rainfall that does come into contact with waste is treated and handled as leachate, not co-mingled with storm water.
How will the new landfill be designed to handle methane generation?
All landfills produce methane gas as a by-product of the biodegradation of buried wastes. Anything that can biodegrade, such as food wastes and yard wastes, may contribute to gas generation. Often yard wastes are diverted from burial in lined landfills, not because of their methane generation potential, but because yard wastes can often be handled in alternative ways that reuse the materials rather than taking up expensive lined landfill space. For example, yard wastes might be chipped and used for mulch or incorporated into compost production for reuse as a soil amendment.
New landfills are designed to prevent off-site subsurface migration of methane gas by providing preferential pathways for venting methane gas. For example, a typical cover system for a new landfill cell in this region includes a permeable gas collection layer that directs methane to an on-site venting system. Methane monitoring wells can also be installed at the landfill boundary to monitor compliance with federal standards that were promulgated to eliminate methane hazards.