Leachate pumping to Resumes After Dangerous Levels of Bad Egg Gas

Will Ashenmacher Duluth News Tribune
Published Friday, March 28, 2008

A landfill pumping system that sent dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide into the Superior sewer system in November will be turned on again today for the first time in five months.

The leachate pumping system, which removes liquids seeping through the Lakehead demolition landfill in the Village of Superior, forced the evacuation of about 20 South Superior homes on Nov. 8. Four men died in the same landfill when they entered the pump Nov. 1 and were overcome by a toxic buildup of naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide gas.

At a meeting Thursday, Superior city officials insisted precautions had been put in place that will prevent an incident similar to either accident from happening again.

Sean Hancock, a project coordinator with the environmental services division of Superior Public Works, said the leachate now will be treated in the pump itself, so no hydrogen sulfide gas should ever enter the sewer system.

Robert Tibbets Jr., who worked on Lakehead’s pump treatment system, said a chemical treatment inside the pump should immediately neutralize any hydrogen sulfide gas, which occurs as a byproduct of bacteria digesting organic matter.

Hancock also said a built-in monitoring device will automatically shut the pump off if hydrogen sulfide levels accumulate above 9.5 parts per million, which is .5 parts per million below the level considered dangerous for short-term exposure. The device, which operates 24 hours a day, also will automatically call a landfill staff member if buildup reaches 9.5 parts per million.

Since Nov. 9, Lakehead has been transporting about 4,500 gallons of leachate a day to Superior’s wastewater treatment plant by truck. The chemical treatment and alarm systems were installed in December and will go into use today, when the leachate will start directly entering the Superior sewer network again.

“By having it come to the sewer system, I’m extremely comfortable that it’s … being treated safely,” Hancock said. More...

New UK Environment Agency Statement on Leachate Irrigation

There has been a gap in the information provided by the UK environment Agency since last year when the BAT Guidance for leachate treatment was publised on the web site www.environment-agency.gov.uk .

The whole area of leachate treatment by irrigation, which is still practised in the UK at a few landfill sites, and which is used to a much greater extent in Europe generally, was until now without any guidance.

To a certain extent that gap has been closed by the position statement published in February, which can be read here.

The regulatory position statement covers the application of treated landfill leachate to short rotation coppice (SRC), but the principles described would presumably also apply to other forms of irrigation (eg grass plot).

In other EU countries, including Scandinavia (which is normally seen as exemplary in their application of environmental controls), the rules are much more relaxed as follows:-

- They allow untreated leachate to be irrigated to short rotation coppice (SRC)

- They allow irrigation not only during soil-moisture deficit periods, but also in many cases when there is not a soil-moisture deficit, so in Europe such schemes entail run-off during irrigation from the irrigated area during wet weather.

- They do not require the base of the irrigated area of treated landfill leachate to short rotation coppice (SRC) to be engineered and to have a barrier to prevent any loss to groundwater, as this is prohibitively expensive for such an otherwise inherently low cost process.

The question has to be asked that if the UK Environment Agency (EA) consider that the EU regulations such as the EU Groundwater Directive, and the EU Landfill and Waste Management Directives require them to take this position, why are not the other EU states applying equal stringency?

Finally, the position statement makes no reference to the dilute leachate which emerges from many old landfill sites in large volumes, where often a lack of original engineering design allows the leachate to become extensively diluted by groundwater.

These old leachates are often very dilute in nature, yet still environmentally damaging, and the techniques which would be applicable under BAT to these would hardly be those which would be applicable for a strong leachate from a WM Licensed or Permitted site. Yet there is still no UK EA guidance on BAT for these examples of leachate.

In my view the effect of this interpretation of the EU regulations will be that the potential opportunity for the nutrients from leachate, which could otherwise be used to water and fertilise extensive use of willow coppicing, much of which in turn could be used for biomass energy production, will be lost.

If it can be done elsewhere, as it is being done, with proper scientific monitoring and control, it should be possible to do this within the UK.

We would be pleased to receive your views - comment on the leachate blog or email me steve.last[at]virgin.net with your views, which if suitable and with your permission, we would like to publish. See also www.leachate-irrigation.com .

Leachate Monitoring (plus treatment) Course

One Day Course 27 Feb 2008

Course Title: Leachate Monitoring (plus treatment)

A one day (non-residential)course

Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK

Are you involved in the monitoring or the control of leachate from landfills? Do you really understand what leachate is and how to effectively monitor it?

This course will provide an understanding of what leachate is, its composition, appropriate monitoring requirements including practical demonstrations of using a range of equipment. The course will also provide an introduction to the treatment of leachate.

What’s in it for me?

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Explain the basic principles of leachate generation
• Identify key contaminants and their risks
• Explain the requirements of monitoring programmes and their objectives
• Know what current technical guidance documents are available
• Use the data generated to identify problems to ensure appropriate actions can be determined
• Identify a range of monitoring equipment and understand how they are to be used
• Explain some typical leachate treatment systems and be aware of the monitoring requirements of them.

Who is it for?

Technical staff working in landfill site operations, or design and regulation, with day to day responsibility for the monitoring of leachate generated by landfills or the monitoring of leachate treatment facilities.

For more information and booking visit the CIWM web site here.

Waste Management Inc. Virginia USA - Leachate Spill Settlement

State's largest landfill fined for garbage juice spill

Originally Posted to: Environment News Virginia

By Scott Harper, The Virginian-Pilot, © February 12, 2008

The owner of the state's largest landfill, in Sussex County, has agreed to pay a $14,250 fine for an environmental accident in 2006, when some 8,000 gallons of garbage juice - known as leachate - spilled into wetlands.

It is the first time that the Atlantic Waste Disposal Inc. landfill, owned by trash-giant Waste Management Inc., has been in trouble with the state Department of Environmental Quality, according to records and officials.

Under the terms of a proposed settlement, the company would pay the fine, assess any environmental harm from the spill and adopt better monitoring of ammonia and other pollutants that might wash off its massive landfill and taint neighboring lands and waters.

Spread across more than 1,300 acres near Waverly, on the western outskirts of Hampton Roads, the private facility accepts the most trash of any landfill in Virginia, said Bill Hayden, a state environmental department spokesman.

Under its state permit, the Atlantic Waste Disposal site can take out-of-state garbage, in-state trash, sludge, scrap metal and industrial debris - but not medical waste, asbestos or hazar dous waste.

It is one of several landfills constructed in the 1990s east of Interstate 95 that have made Virginia the second-largest importer of household garbage in the country. Pennsylvania is No. 1.
According to the proposed written settlement, the accident occurred Nov. 9, 2006. The leachate was being pumped into a tanker truck, but the driver fell asleep and some 8,000 gallons overflowed onto the ground, said Michael P. Kearns, district manager for Atlantic Waste Disposal Inc.

"He woke up and there was stuff running all over the place," Kearns said. "He came and told us right away."

The juice ran off a loading pad, into a drainage ditch and settled in nearby wetlands, which are considered "waters of the state" because of their environmental importance, according to the settlement.

The company immediately contacted state environmental officials, as required by law, and a cleanup began, said Jennifer Hoeffner, a state enforcement specialist overseeing the case. More....

Philippines Landfill Opposed Due to Leachate Concerns

Bohol town residents oppose landfill project

By Kit Bagaipo, Visayas Bureau, Last updated 05:54pm (Mla time) 12/05/2007

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines -- Albuquerque town residents in the central Bohol province have asked the provincial government to stop a sanitary landfill project, saying it will pollute their water system.

About 100 residents led by Albuquerque Vice Mayor Cirilo Jalad and Councilor Teodulo Pinlac gathered at the town hall on Wednesday to protest the project.

They said an aquifer in the village of Dangay, where the project will be constructed, supplies the water requirement of four villages in Albuquerque.

The Albuquerque cluster sanitary landfill will host wastes from 13 nearby towns.

One of the major hazards of waste landfills would be leachate, the contaminated water generated from the garbage dumped on the landfills, Pinlac said.

Leachate is a potentially toxic fluid that could leak from a landfill site and pollute aquifers and surface water, according to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire website.

Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado implemented the Albuquerque cluster sanitary landfill project early 2007 to comply with Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2002. More here ...

Leachate Treatment Issues and Site Closure at a US Site

Landfill wants leachate treatment services, township wants land
By Rodney L. Sherman, Clarion News Editor

FARMINGTON TWP. – County Environmental of Clarion, operators of the landfill in Farmington Township , is seeking a favor from the township and supervisor Ed Heasley wants to close the door on any future expansion of the facility.

It’s possible both goals could be met with one agreement.

County Environmental , also know as County Landfill Inc., is beginning its efforts to close the landfill next year. Company representatives attended the Nov. 7 meeting of the Farmington Township Board of Supervisors to outline their plans for the closing.

One of the ongoing problems at the landfill involves treatment of the leachate produced by the landfill. County Environmental has been unable to resolve problems at its treatment plant and recently was fined $225,149 for exceeding pollution limits established by the landfill’s federal wastewater discharge permit. More here ....

Ohio Landfill Sorts Out Leachate Problem

No big problems detected:

By Bob Downing

Consultant for Countywide says leachate pumps functioning properly; minor fixes suggested for gases

The liquid and gas collection systems at a landfill in southern Stark County are both working well with no major problems, according to two reports released Monday.

The reports on the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in Pike Township were done by Cornerstone Environmental Group LLC, a consultant for landfill owner Republic Services of Ohio.

They were released by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, even as the landfill company and the agency began meetings in Columbus on revising the timetable for lowering the volume of leachate, or liquid, within the 258-acre landfill, which has been dealing with underground fires and odor problems for two years.

Revising the schedule would probably require new EPA orders that would take some time to prepare, agency spokesman Mike Settles said.

The volume of leachate within the landfill is a big issue because the liquid is believed to be causing chemical reactions with buried aluminum waste. The EPA wants the liquid to be sharply reduced to cool off and dry out the landfill and to improve the stability in the 88 acres where the fire and odor problems are centered.

Company officials believe the chemical reaction is generating the additional liquids within the landfill.

The 75-page Cornerstone report indicates the volume of liquid has grown from 3 million gallons in 2004 to 12 million gallons in 2005, 29 million gallons in 2006 and a projected 40 million gallons in 2007.

This year through late November, the actual volume of leachate is about 37 million gallons, the report said.

The liquids are being hauled away to sewage treatment plants for disposal.

The system is ''functioning as designed,'' the consultants concluded. ''No immediate corrective actions are warranted or proposed at this time.''

The system's biggest problem is that the leachate contains high volumes of dissolved solids that put more strain on leachate pumps, Cornerstone said. The landfill has had 30 leachate-pump problems since March, with 23 pumps being replaced.

In a separate 40-page report, Cornerstone suggested that Republic Services of Ohio make minor improvements to expand and improve the gas-extraction system. This system relies on wells to collect and burn off offensive landfill gases.

The reports are available at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/countywide.html.

The liquid and gas collection systems at a landfill in southern Stark County are both working well with no major problems, according to two reports released Monday.

The reports on the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in Pike Township were done by Cornerstone Environmental Group LLC, a consultant for landfill owner Republic Services of Ohio.

They were released by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, even as the landfill company and the agency began meetings in Columbus on revising the timetable for lowering the volume of leachate, or liquid, within the 258-acre landfill, which has been dealing with underground fires and odor problems for two years.

Revising the schedule would probably require new EPA orders that would take some time to prepare, agency spokesman Mike Settles said.

The volume of leachate within the landfill is a big issue because the liquid is believed to be causing chemical reactions with buried aluminum waste. The EPA wants the liquid to be sharply reduced to cool off and dry out the landfill and to improve the stability in the 88 acres where the fire and odor problems are centered.

Company officials believe the chemical reaction is generating the additional liquids within the landfill.

The 75-page Cornerstone report indicates the volume of liquid has grown from 3 million gallons in 2004 to 12 million gallons in 2005, 29 million gallons in 2006 and a projected 40 million gallons in 2007.

This year through late November, the actual volume of leachate is about 37 million gallons, the report said.

The liquids are being hauled away to sewage treatment plants for disposal.

The system is ''functioning as designed,'' the consultants concluded. ''No immediate corrective actions are warranted or proposed at this time.''

The system's biggest problem is that the leachate contains high volumes of dissolved solids that put more strain on leachate pumps, Cornerstone said. The landfill has had 30 leachate-pump problems since March, with 23 pumps being replaced.

Original report by Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning[at]thebeaconjournal.com (Beacon Journal staff writer).

Kuala Lumpur Newspaper Applauds Enviros Designed Landfill Restoration & LTP

The following article refers to an Enviros concept designed landfill restoration for the local contractor, and an Enviros designed leachate treatment plant.

KUALA LUMPUR: A landfill which once marred Kepong has now turned into an unlikely success story.

A RM24 million campaign by City Hall has turned the rubbish hill into a picturesque mound covered with grass. While it was once shunned because of its terrible stench, it now attracts visitors.

On weekends, the Taman Metropolitan Kepong, a 120ha park located next to the former landfill, is packed with people.

Little do newcomers using the jogging track, extreme water sports facilities and a football pitch know of the malodorous history of the area.

For most, the hillock is a natural part of the terrain.

The excellent makeover was not just skin-deep. Under the pile of rubbish lie 1.8km of pipes that ring its perimeter and channel leachate into two containment pools.

This is then channelled to a treatment plant which in turn converts the leachate into clear, river-safe, water.

The build-up of methane gas from the landfill is also controlled by a series of pipes which allow gas to be released harmlessly.

The dumpsite in Taman Beringin is Malaysia’s first fully engineered landfill closure and rehabilitation project.

Rent and property value in the area have increased dramatically after the demise of the dump.

Residents in Taman Nyanyang, Taman Beringin and Taman Aman have been breathing a sigh of relief after enduring the horrible stench for most of their lives.

More here..

CIWM & ESA Training Courses in Leachate

CIWM & ESA TRAINING:

18 July ~ Geology, Hydrogeology, Hydrology and Leachate (Shrewsbury)
19 July ~ Leachate Monitoring (Shrewsbury)

For further information on the above training courses or any of the courses within this Training Programme, please visit the CIWM web site on http://www.ciwm.co.uk. You can also email training@ciwm.co.uk or call the Training Services Department on 01604 620426.