Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Environmentally Orientation
The interpretation of sanitary landfill is currently a popular word in the waste
management system with sustainable and environmentally orientation. What is
Sanitary Landfill? Before exploring the answer, I'd like to say that this article will
discuss about the definition of sanitary landfills, what connection with the waste
management system, and appropriate instructions for the build / design of Sanitary
Landfill both based ulititas and site selection.
Sanitary Landfill
Sanitary Landfill sites where waste is isolated from the environment until it is safe. It
is considered when it has completely degraded biologically, chemically and physically.
In high-income countries, the level of isolation achieved may be high. However, such
an expensive high level of isolation may not be technically necessary to protect public
health. Four basic conditions should be met before a site can be regarded as a
sanitary landfill (see following.) The ways of doing this should be adapted to local
conditions. The immediate goal is to meet, to the best extent possible, the four
stated basic sanitary landfill conditions, with a longer term goal to meet them
eventually in full. That is why Sanitary Landfill known as reliable waste management
system and environmentally orientation.
Small incremental improvements in landfill design and operation over several
years are more likely to succeed than attempts to make a single, large leap in
engineering expectations.
Large landfills will require more investment to improve standards than smaller sites.
However, the unit cost of these improvements (measured per tonne of waste
landfilled or per head of population served) will decrease with increasing site size.
There are financial and other benefits to sites with long operating lifetimes (ten years
or more). Large regional sites serving two or more cities could be economically
beneficial,
providing
waste
transport
costs
are
not
too
high.
Polyethylene) ranging from 30 to 100 mils thick. The plastic liners may also be
designed with a combination of compacted clay soils, along with synthetic plastic.
Cells (old and new) This is the area in a landfill that has been constructed and
approve for disposal of waste. These cells range in size (depending upon total tons of
waste received each day at the landfill) from a few acres to as large as 20+ acres.
Inside these larger cells are smaller cells known as the daily workface, or sometimes
referred to as cells. This is where the waste coming into the landfill for disposal that
day is prepared by placing the material in layers or lifts where the waste is then
compacted and shredded by heavy landfill compaction machinery.
Leachate collection system The bottom of each landfill is typically designed so
that the bottom surface of the landfill is sloped to a low point, called a sump. This is
where any liquids that are trapped inside the landfill known in the waste industry
as leachate are collected and removed from the landfill. The leachate collection
system typically consists of a series of perforated pipes, gravel packs and a layer of
sand or gravel placed in the bottom of the landfill. Once the leachate is removed
from the sump, it is typically pumped or gravity-flowed to a holding tank or pond,
where it is either treated on site or hauled off site to a public or private wastewater
treatment facility.
Storm water drainage This is an engineered system designed to control water
runoff during rain or storm events. This is done by directing the runoff through a
series of berms or ditches to holding areas known as sed ponds. In these ponds the
runoff water flow is slowed down or held long enough to allow the suspended soil
particles to settle out before the water is discharged off site.
Methane collection system Bacteria in the landfill break down the trash in the
absence of oxygen. This process produces landfill gas, which is approximately 50
percent methane. Since methane gas has the potential to burn or explode, it has to
be removed from the landfill. To do this, a series of pipes are embedded within the
landfill to collect the methane gas. This gas, once collected, can be either naturally
vented or control-burned.
Cover (or cap) Waste that is placed in a cell is required to be covered daily with
either six inches of compacted soil or an alternative daily cover. Some examples of
alternative daily covers are the application of spray-on cover material, such as foam
or a flame-retardant fiber material. Another type of alternative daily cover is large
panels of tarpaulin-type material that is laid over the waste at the end of each day
and removed the next day before waste is placed. Other areas within the cells that
are not to final grade and will not receive placement of additional waste for a period
of time may require additional cover. This is known as intermediate cover generally
12 to 18 inches of soil. Covering (or capping) is performed in order to isolate the
waste from exposure to the air, pests (such as birds, rats and mice) and to control
odors. When a section of the landfill is finished or filled to capacity, it is permanently
Landfill can now be designed with a geosynthetic liner to replace or back up a soil
liner someone might feel that a landfill could be sited anywhere. While new
technologies can increase the technical acceptability of some potential landfill sites,
there are a variety of factors that must be assessed when determining site
acceptability. Sound technology alone will be an insufficient basis on which to
evaluate and compare alI potential sites.
There are many other factors to consider, including public opinion, health and safety,
hauling distance, accessibility, climate, drainage, zoning and hand use, and
economics. No matter how technically sound a facility design appears to be, there
will no doubt be public interest and even hostility that must be addressed in the site
evaluation process. This lesson will provide a procedure for evaluating potential sites
and seeking public input. Possibilities for potential sanitary landfill sites are:
A site in an area zoned for industry.
A site that serves a region of several communities and is located some distance
from residential development;
A site that would have economic or aesthetic value if filled with solid wastes
and then landscaped (e.g., an area previously excavated):
A site that, after construction of an above-ground landfill, can be put to
recreational use (such as a ski hill)
Obviously, this approach is not trouble free. Working with the public during the search
process is time-consuming and difficult. Some interested participants in the process
may be totally negative or may attempt to play neighbors near one site against
neighbors at another. Since some public involvement in siting is usually mandated by
state or local regulations, the developer must devise an approach that results in
increased public support for the landfill project. This will be a formidable task.
Site
Selection
Proper landfill site selection is the fundamental step in sound waste disposal and the
protection
of the environment, public health and quality of life. Proper landfill site selection
determines many of the subsequent steps in the landfill process, which, if properly
implemented, should ensure against nuisances and adverse long-term effects. For
example, a well-selected landfill site will generally facilitate an uncomplicated design
and provide ample cover material, which would facilitate an environmentally and
publicly
acceptable
operation
at
a
reasonable
cost.
The criteria involved in landfill site selection include environmental, economic and
sociopolitical criteria, some of which may conflict. With increased environmental
awareness, new legislation and certain other developments over time, the landfill site
selection process has become much more sophisticated, as new procedures and tools
have
been
developed.
Early considerations in the technical process are the size (land area) and the strategic
location of the proposed site, to ensure that the facility meets the disposal need.
While the size depends on the waste stream over the predicted site life and provision
for sufficient buffer zones, strategic location is determined by the waste generation
areas to be served and transport routes. It is economically sound practice to establish
the proposed facility as close to the generation areas as possible, with a view to
minimising transport costs. Often an economic radius is determined, based on the
existing or proposed mode of waste transport. This will define the initial area of
investigation.
Once all the candidate sites have been identified, they must all be compared and
technically evaluated. Unsuitable sites must be eliminated and the best sites must be
short listed for further consideration. The short listed sites are then ranked in order
of suitability. The ranking process is, however, controversial and is often open to
criticism because it may be seen as subjective, which in some instances is the case.
The top-ranking site is then subjected to a more detailed investigation by means of a
Feasibility Study, to confirm that it has no Fatal Flaws and is environmentally and
publicly acceptable. The Feasibility Study may comprise many administrative and
technical aspects, which depend on local legislation. It should, however, include a