GEPA enlists help to estimate leachate from dump - KUAM.com

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - The Guam Environmental Protection Agency has officially asked for the federal receiver's help in estimating the amount of liquid coming from the Lujan's Junkyard dump site.  The request filed today in the District Court, comes a week after Chief Judge Frances Tydingco Gatewood ordered a proper and thorough investigation of the Lujan salvage site in Toto and other similar dumps in a certain radius of the Ordot Dump. 

The agency discovered a sizeable illegal dump in Toto and are hoping Gershman, Brickner & Bratton can help facilitate the assistance they need to estimate the leachate volume from the site.

View the original article here

Ribbon cut on major landfill, waste water facility upgrades - Drumheller Mail

Wednesday, 20 July 2011 08:25 Kyle Smylie | © DrumhellerMail.com   

    A ribbon cutting was held on Friday afternoon to celebrate over three years work and millions of dollars in upgrading both the Drumheller Municipal Landfill and the Waste Water Treatment Facility.

    The landfill received $7.8 million in upgrades to meet Alberta Environmental standards which should stand within regulations for years to come. An engineered clay layer, leachate collection system, and run off control system were integrated in the site over the last three years.

The federal, provincial, and municipal governments split the $7.8 million bill in thirds at $2.6 million each.
MP Kevin Sorenson and MLA Strathmore-Brooks Arno Doerksen attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and luncheon to represent Canada’s and Alberta’s contribution to the projects.
    “When we look in past we see many dollars go into the urban centres, and still do today. But here today, we see dollars go into a project outside of Calgary or Red Deer and into the rural areas,” said Sorenson. “This will benefit residents in the long term.”
“There are many, many reasons why it benefitted us to get the money. It’s going to save the tax payers dollars in the long term. Overall, it’s so much better for our association, our region, and our taxpayers. We have a state of the art facility now,” says operations manager for Drumheller and District Solid Waste Management Association Tammi Nygaard.
The clay layer prevents waste from leaking into earth, the leachate system diverts leachate (liquid formed by decomposed garbage) and disposes of it in an environmentally safe way. The scale house was also expanded with an outbound scale and updated computer system. Now there is not as long a wait when going through the landfill.
The million dollar recycling facility is a new building that will see newsprint and cardboard from 60 regional program members in the area.
“Our new building couldn’t handle it,” says Nygaard, adding three years ago they were recycling 40 metric tonnes, and now do 80 metric tonnes. “Our cardboard alone has jumped as far as participation and how many people are involved. As this grows we want to be able to collect other recyclables like tin and plastic.”
The Waste Water Treatment Plant has nearly seen the completion of four years of work: two secondary clarifiers added, upgrading of aeration system, new headworks building, new pumphouse for secondary clarifiers, and the equalization pond has been lined with concrete. Total cost for the project was over $16 million. Funds came from town reserves and other funding sources.
“It helps us meet the regulatory requirements, easier to achieve standards in the future. There is some flexibility built into the operation, which allows us leeway in the operation side of it,” says Director of Infrastructure Allan Kendrick.
The plant was built in 1975, retrofitted and upgraded since then, but was in need of repairs before this project.
Kendrick believes this should extend the lifetime of the Waste Water Treatment Facility by 25 years.

View the original article here

Ablakwa: Government scaling up efforts to improve waste disposal - Ghana News Agency

Accra, July 20, GNA - The Government on Wednesday dismissed criticisms of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that it has failed to improve sanitary conditions in the manifesto of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) saying it is scaling up efforts at waste disposal.

“We assure the good people of Ghana that though generally there are improvements in sanitary conditions when compared with 2008, Government will not accept the present situation…,” it said in a statement signed by the Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Accra.

“… hence we are scaling up efforts at all fronts, including massive investments in infrastructure (and) modern methods of waste disposals, to ensure that our realistic target of making Ghana clean and eliminating its attendant health risks are met,” it said.

The statement said most Ghanaians had expected the NPP, “which had failed to implement any useful strategy to improve sanitary conditions even when they created the superfluous Ministry of Tourism and Beautification of the Capital City” to show some modicum of remorse and objectivity as government works hard to avoid the NPP’s legacy. 

“We do not think that the ‘Konongo Kaya’ style of politics where those who fail to carry out their mandate and would also not assist nor permit others to try is the way forward for this country.”

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, who served as Secretary to the Task Force, which was set up during the Transition as early as January 8, 2009 by President John Evans Atta Mills, just a day after he was sworn in as President and which was chaired by Dr. Christine Amoako Nuamah, revealed that the 100-day Task Force “rescued residents in Accra who were being drowned in filth from cataclysmic consequences”. 

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa stressed that the Task Force found out immediately after commencing work that the whole of Accra had only one dump fill site, which was located at Kokroko, a suburb of Mallam. The others at Oblogo and Kwashiebu were full and no longer in use.

“What was worse, it had only a week to be full to capacity and no alternative was ready for use.  Indeed coupled with this was the situation where there were heaps of refuse everywhere particularly markets and residences as 600 tonnes of refuse was left unattended to daily and the fact that the 15 Waste Management Contractors at the time had not been paid for several months and so most of them had laid down their tools.”

The statement said the Task Force averted a looming disaster by urgently collaborating with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Zoomlion by locating a replacement site in an old quarry pit at Mallam at the base of the MacCarthy Hill, adjacent to an old disposal site. 

A period of six weeks from January 22 to February 26, 2009 was set for the contractors to complete the evacuation of the heaps of solid wastes nationwide, it said, adding that this was achieved with much success.

It said the Task Force, meanwhile, ensured that the Kokroko-Mallam site was properly reclaimed as residents in the vicinity had been complaining and demonstrating under the NPP government because of the obvious threats and inconvenience which included leachate from the refuse finding its way into their homes and causing cracks in their buildings. 

The statement said the reclamation included consultation with residents, pumping of water from the dump, spreading of the refuse to attain a level ground, capping the leveled refuse with laterite and construction of drains to carry leachate from the site.

Subsequently, the Task Force in partnership with the AMA and Zoomlion ensured that a main dump fill site at Sarba in Weija was in good time designed and constructed to serve Accra.

The statement added that Government was pleased with the work of the Task Force as it within 100 days did a lot to avert crisis, ensured a clean nation and made far reaching recommendations.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa added that it was “sad and unfortunate” that the recent outbreak of cholera had been exploited for cheap political capital by the NPP when the NPP knew that what we must all commit ourselves to as a nation was to devise ways of halting what had become an annual ritual. 

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa said that the NPP was aware of statistics at the Ghana Health Service which painted this sad yearly picture. 

He cited some examples from the Greater Accra Region where in 2001 there were 1,387 cases of cholera out of which 42 people died. In 2002 there were 2,044 cases out of which 47 died; in 2005 there 1,812 cases out of which 21 died and in 2006, there were 1,290 cases out of which 21 died all in the Greater Accra Region alone.

GNA

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Group opposes landfill project - MPNnow.com

As for contamination worries, the leachate is handled in keeping with all regulations, said Baker.

As for the landfill expansion, he said the agreement between the Board of Supervisors and Casella stipulates Casella must take Ontario County waste for the entire life of the 25-year contract.  

The board signed the lease in 2003; the contract is due to expire in 2028.

“It is not cost effective to take only Ontario County waste now,” said Baker.

View the original article hMembers of Finger Lakes Zero Waste Coalition Inc., a Geneva-based environmental-action group, have launched a campaign encouraging Ontario County residents to protest activities involving the county landfill.

At issue is a proposed pipeline to carry leachate from the Ontario County landfill in the town of Seneca to the city of Canandaigua’s wastewater treatment plant.

The plant already takes leachate from the landfill, though it is trucked in.

The material contains toxins that can’t be removed or made harmless through the existing treatment process, said coalition member Cynthia Hsu. A pipeline to continue bringing millions of gallons of leachate to Canandaigua would only encourage more of the waste, she said, with the chemicals ending up in the watershed.

“We need to get people tuned in to what is going on, to talk to their elected officials,” said coalition member Chris Costello.

The pair and other coalition members had a booth at the Downtown Canandaigua Art & Music Festival over the weekend with information materials about their organization and postcards people could sign and mail to officials.
Locals lobby

The postcard to Mayor Ellen Polimeni and Canandaigua City Council urges the council “to prevent Canandaigua from becoming the permanent home for the landfill’s leachate.”

Another postcard, addressed to the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, addressed the issue of the county opening up a new section of the landfill. The Board of Supervisors recently named itself lead agency for the environmental review process required to open a new area of the county-owned landfill, which is managed by Casella Waste Systems Inc. Though the expansion is within the landfill’s existing boundaries, the project concerns some because it opens up more space to take garbage from outside Ontario County.

The postcard urges the Board of Supervisors to “stop the expansion” and create a plan to limit the amount of garbage taken from outside the county.

Costello said he is concerned the landfill, which belongs to the taxpayers of Ontario County, is being filled with trash from other counties and states, much of which “is more noxious than what we have here.”

“After our lease is up, what do we do with our garbage?” he added.

Priorities
Canandaigua City Supervisor David Baker, who heads the county Environmental Quality Committee, which oversees the landfill, addressed the concerns. Regarding discussions about a pipeline for the leachate, he said, “we are looking at ways to reduce the number of truckloads on the road.” He said a pipeline would reduce the risk of accidents and spills from trucks, as well as reduce fuel emissions. “Why are the Zero Waste people more concerned with digging a sewer line than reducing trucks on the road?” he asked. “Perhaps their priorities are backwards.”

ere

Leader goes inside Hallam Rd Landill - Cranbourne Leader

A PROCESSION of dump trucks greets us at the entry to the Hallam Rd Landfill.

They’re not there to dump rubbish, but to collect ground cement from the on-site concrete crusher.

Aside from the landfill, which is currently filling its eighth cell and has a licence to operate until 2040, the 100ha site is home to the aforementioned concrete crusher, that produces road-base material, a product destruction business, a construction and demolition product sorting and processing facility, a transfer station and a generation system that draws gas from the landfill, producing electricity.

You need a 4WD to get around the muddy tip in these wet conditions – and a set of gumboots to get out.

At the height of some of the completed cells, there is more than 30m of waste underneath, encased in 1m of compacted clay, a 2mm high density polyethylene liner, overlaid with a cushion geo-textile and a leachate collection system.

The gas capture system, which turns gas into energy, has the capacity to generate enough energy to power over 3,000 homes.

Leachate – waste water from the cells – is managed through two ponds, which pump the water into sewage once safe.

A deodorising spray is used to mask smells.

Heavy machinery is used to cover the rubbish with soil at the end of each day.

It’s not the only use for heavy machinery on the site. A huge crushing system breaks up the concrete and turns it into small stones, while other machinery is used to destroy recalled retail products.

Plenty of smiling faces greeted us at the public transfer station, which is run by Outlook Environmental, which provides jobs and vocational training for disadvantaged workers.

On the tour, Sita Environmental Solutions state general manager Daniel Fyfe tells me the February floods that saturated much of Casey had put the landfill under water, only serving to speed up the generation of landfill gas.

``We are an essential service, not that people often think of us that way,’’ Mr Fyfe said.

``Households produce waste and it has to go somewhere.

``We’ve had unprecedented wet weather and that has posed problems for landfills right along the eastern seaboard.’’

The former quarry that has been run by Sita since 1999 doesn’t smell at the moment, although that hasn’t always been the case recently.

``We’ve just connected 14 new gas wells into the active site,’’ Mr Fyfe says.

``This is unprecedented for landfills in Australia, usually the wells are installed after the cells are complete.

``We’re doing everything we can.’’

He said future cells would be much smaller than the current one, in order to provide greater control of landfill gas.

The EPA has received over 500 complaints from residents about smells emanating from the landfill since April and traced stinks back to the facility six times since. The Leader revealed earlier this month the authority plans on taking enforcement action against Sita over the smells.

View the original article here

Post-closure landfill costs projected at almost $300,000 - Crossville Chronicle

CROSSVILLE — Commissioners on the budget committee had to readjust sanitation fund budget figures by nearly $300,000 to allow for post-closure landfill costs.

"After we got everything done we realized we hadn't allowed for costs associated with the post-closure landfill costs. The finance office always has been allowed some leeway and authority in adjusting numbers on the budget by the committee. What we did in order to balance those anticipated costs was move 1.5 cents from debt service over to the sanitation fund," said Cumberland County Finance Director Nathan Brock.

Mike Harvel, 7th District commissioner, who also works in the county's solid waste department, said he amended the sanitation fund budget to allow more revenue for the fund by decreasing projected leachate costs from $300,000 to $200,000 and costs for recycling bins of $8,500.

"Since it (the landfill) is closed we won't have as much costs with the leachate as we had before. So that should save at least $100,000," Harvel said.

Brock said, "It's of course up to the committee, but this was the easiest way to adjust this. The tax-rate remains the same and we just moved the 1.5 cent to make the adjustment for the figures to match the projected numbers," Brock said.

With the adjustment, the projected fund balance for the sanitation fund would be $294,639.

"How do you feel about the fund balance? Could we make it a half-cent less? I'd like to see more go back to debt service. Once it's there it won't go back," 9th District Commissioner and Budget Committee Chairman Carmin Lynch said.

"I don't mind. It's up to Nathan (Brock). He pays the bills. I feel fine about it. This budget's cut to the bone. We may have to come back later in the year and adjust it again. I don't know," Harvel said.

"How does the committee feel?" Lynch asked.

Harry Sabine, 1st District commissioner then made a motion to leave the adjustment alone as it is the way the finance department adjusted the sanitation fund and draw down the fund balance on the sanitation fund if necessary later in the year. Sonya Rimmer, 8th District commissioner, supported the motion.

It was unanimously approved.

Commissioners and committee members Johnny Presley, 3rd District, and Charles Seiber, 4th District, did not attend the meeting.

With the adjustment, the breakdown of the 2011-'12 tax rate of $1.425 will be:

General Fund — 55 cents

Solid Waste/Sanitation Fund — 14 cents

General Purpose School Fund — 56.5 cents

General Debt Service — 17 cents

View the original article here

Cost of Garbage trucks could spell trouble - Trucks must hold leachate - Malay Mail

Thursday, July 7th, 2011 11:07:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The planned implementation of the Key Performance Index (KPI) on three companies awarded concessions to manage solid waste disposal and public cleansing in the peninsula could turn out to be a fiasco, says an industry source.

"Such a move is overly optimistic and without consideration for the huge financial costs," a source, who requested anonymity, told The Malay Mail.

"For example, to comply with the KPI, the concessionaires and their sub-contractors need to buy new garbage trucks that do not leak leachate and are equipped for automated garbage bins collection. These trucks cost more than RM500,000 each and to change all trucks in use now would cost more than RM5 billion.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung told The Malay Mail yesterday he was confident of the smooth implementation of the full privatisation programme.

When told about the cost of the new trucks, Chor said: "I know but I am confident there will no problem."

He had earlier announce the full privatisation of solid waste disposal and public cleansing management will take effect on Sept 1, the day the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 will be enforced.

However, the three concessionaires -- Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, responsible for Putrajaya, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan; SWM Management Sdn Bhd in Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan; and Environment Idaman Sdn Bhd for Kedah and Perlis -- would be given a year's grace period before the KPI is enforced.

"In the second year, they will need to abide by the KPI, supply 30 per cent of the areas under their control with 120-litre garbage bins and new trucks, and this goes up to 75 per cent for the third year and 100 per cent by the fourth year," said Chor.

View the original article here

Probe: Small, Cheap Part Would Solve Street Contamination Problem - WBOY-TV

CHARLESTON -- It's not hard to find garbage trucks drizzling Charleston streets with potentially hazardous ooze, what the waste industry calls "leachate."

Try it yourself; just follow the stained trails on the street to the first puddle of what gets squeezed out of your garbage. Then look for the compactor truck.

"We don't purposely go out here and drain the leachate out on the streets, I don't think," asserts Gary Taylor, the Charleston's Public Works Director.

Whether the drainage is intentional may be a matter of definition. Because underneath each compactor truck is a drain, a short piece of pipe that originally comes from the manufacturer fitted with a threaded plug.

"Normally we keep the plugs in them, but some of the trucks don't have them," Taylor said. "They're missing."

Without the plug, when garbage gets compacted, streams of liquid -- chock full of potentially-deadly E. coli bacteria -- get released right out on the street.

"We don't think that we have that much of a problem with it leaking out on the streets," Taylor contends. "We get maybe one to two reports a week on the leachate running out ."

Taylor claims the city always dispatches a water truck when there's a complaint, but many streets show visible evidence of leak trails lasting from one collection day to another -- and beyond.

"Well, the plug could unscrew," offered Gary Grady. He heads up West Virginia Tractor, which supplies garbage trucks to Charleston and cities statewide. "The plug is not exactly flat with the bottom of the hopper, so I assume that it's possible that it could be knocked off or dislodged when traveling some of these extremely steep streets that we have."

"They get knocked out sometimes," Taylor agrees. "Sometimes they're taken out when the truck's brought in for maintenance."

If they can drop out on their own or disappear after maintenance, how many trucks are missing plugs?

"I couldn't really tell you," Taylor said. "We check them regularly."

The garbage trucks are parked just across the street from Taylor's office, so it was easy for a reporter to make an independent check. Out of 17 compactors the city owns, 14 were missing the plugs that would keep leachate, laden with potentially-deadly E. coli, from spilling out on neighborhood streets.

"I'm a citizen of Charleston, and I can't remember seeing leakage from a packer on my street," Taylor argued. "Doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, but I haven't seen it as a problem at all."

"I guess we've never recognized it as a big problem," Taylor said. "So that's why there's never been much attention given to whether the plugs were in or not."

Once alerted to the issue, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department's is paying attention. After reviewing the independent test results from leachate spewing on Charleston streets, Environmental Health Director Anita Ray called it a "potential public health hazard."

"Even two or three times a year," Ray said bluntly, "that's just way too much E. Coli to be put back out on the ground for people to be able to come in contact with but again you gotta use common sense. We don't live in a Third World country."

But the image of an open sewer running down the middle of the street may not be that far off the mark. It turns out the liquid drizzling from the trucks is essentially unregulated. In the third part of this Hometown Investigation, reaction from lawmakers and regulators.

View the original article here

Chief judge issues order relative to Lujan dump - KUAM.com

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco Gatewood is stepping in to ensure there's a proper and thorough investigation of the Lujan salvage site in Toto or other similar sites that are near the Ordot Dump. In an order issued today, the judge ordered the Guam EPA to seek assistance, if they need, from the receiver to estimate the leachate volume from the Lujan site where the agency discovered a sizeable illegal dump. 

The receiver's employees and contractors have been authorized to accompany the Guam EPA on inspections of the dump site as they analyze any potential impact on the closure of the Ordot Dump. The court also ordered the Guam EPA and the AG's Office to provide the court with reports no later than 30 days after each inspection. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was also ordered to file an interim report with the court by August 24 to provide an update on progress regarding the Lujan site.

The company meanwhile submitted its disposal plan to the Guam EPA as required by a notice of violation on Thursday. That plan is currently under review.

View the original article here

Ministry closes industrial landfill site to protect Laurenson Lake - Lake of the Woods Enterprise

A former Abitibi-Bowater waste disposal site is testing the limits of phosphorous in Laurenson's Lake and the Ministry of the Environment is seeking public input.

The Margach landfill was designed in 1986 to collect leachate in an 11 hectare engineered wetland, absorbing phosphorous and discharging into the lake surrounded by residential property. The ministry now believes the lake is reaching its capacity to assimilate phosphorous and intends to propose a Director's Order to ensure the site is closed, that inspections and tests be conducted, and that the company provide $2.3 million in financial support.

"Laurenson's Lake is at its capacity to take more phosphorous and any additional phosphorous loading could have a detrimental effect on the lake," said Lisa Brygidyr, the ministry's issues project coordinator for the Kenora and Thunder Bay Districts.

AbitibiBowater used the Margach site for non-hazardous industrial wastes including wood bark, bio-solids from the secondary treatment facility, general wood waste, scrappings, boiler ash, clinkers and sludge from the primary clarifier and recycling facility. Throughout the mill's demolition from 2007 to 2009, demolition debris was also deposited there.

AbitibiBowater and many of its executives are named in the Director's Order as the ministry hopes to hold the company responsible for the monitoring and maintenance of the site over the next 30 years.

When the company was placed under creditor protection in 2009, the federal Quebec Superior Court granted the company the right to transfer the waste disposal site to Numbered Company 451, which, without directors or officers, was declared insolvent and is still in receivership. In March of 2011, the receiver successfully petitioned the court to abandon the sites. In the same decision, the Ministry of the Environment was given the opportunity to follow up with specific sites of environmental concern and the ministry has identified three sites in Ontario, two of which are within the City of Kenora boundaries.

"Our job is to protect the environment and we have to make sure companies are monitoring their site in an environmentally responsible way. If they're not, we're going to go after them," Brygidyr explained. "We're utilizing that right."

For the second site at Mud Lake, the ministry declared an emergency exception to the public consultation legislation on May 13 to address leeching concerns in the former AbitibiBowater site adjacent to the landfill site. The ministry and the company reached an agreement on June 3 to intervene immediately to ensure the waste would not overflow.

"There's a potential for the water levels in Mud Lake to increase in the spring melt. The water levels can increase to where the pumping system is insufficient," Brygidyr said. "The culvert at the landfill site near the Mud Lake site is the Rabbit Lake wetland, which ultimately flows into the Winnipeg River, which is a source of drinking water for residents and aboriginal communities downstream."

Public consultation on Margach will be open until August 11 and can be accessed through the ministry's website at www.ebr.gov.on.ca with the reference number 8301-8HFPUQ.

Officials at AbitibiBowater declined comment, as the issue is still in the public consultation period.

View the original article here

Storm damage costs $100000 to repair - Hawke's Bay Today

Storm damage at Omarunui Landfill during the April floods has cost more than $100,000 to fix.

The heavy rainfall saturated the landfill's leachate processing system, causing a build-up which had to be trucked off site and disposed of, Hastings District Council said.

Leachate is a liquid which runs off the landfill and includes contaminants from the waste. It's usually trapped in ponds at the landfill.

Waste services manager Martin Jarvis said the extreme rain event caused a large inflow of water into the leachate system and pond.

As a precautionary measure, some of the liquid was pumped out of the pond to be disposed of.

The leachate was taken by tanker to Beard's Environmental in Omahu Rd, where it was treated and disposed of, at a cost in excess of $100,000.

But the council said the landfill's financial result was still on target, despite the extra disposal costs and lower than expected revenue.

A drop in the volume of waste being dumped at the landfill was predicted to result in a loss of revenue of about $200,000.

But the council said operational cost savings had more than offset the lost income, and a budget surplus was predicted.

View the original article here

Sonsoddo garbage dump inspected - Times of India

MARGAO: Fatorda MLA Damodar 'Damu' Naik on Thursday visited the garbage dump at Sonsoddo, after locals complained that leachate from the waste was overflowing onto the roads.

South Goa district collector Sandip Jacques and representatives from Margao municipal council (MMC), public works department, water resources department, electricity department, and the Margao urban health centre (UHC) were also present.

Following the site inspection, Jacques called for a high-level meeting next week to find a solution to the problem.

"I have been raising this issue with the authorities concerned and it's high time they solve this problem as time and again, the residents of Gogol are complaining about the stench," said the Fatorda MLA. Naik put forth a suggestion to the collector, that land can be acquired outside the garbage dump where soak pits could be constructed to take care of the leachate.

Fomento, the concessionaire of the proposed garbage treatment plant at the site, has already covered the existing garbage mound with tarpaulin to stop the flow of leachate into the adjoining water nullah. However, the monsoon has witnessed water flowing into the nullah causing Gogol residents to complain about the bad stench emanating from the water body. "They should not just cover the mountain of garbage, but they have to dig at least one metre deep, and stop the flow of water there," says Jennifer Gonsalves, a resident of Gogol, who met the district collector and conveyed her grievances.

"I understand that this is a genuine problem and the issue needs to be looked into in a systematic manner. I have called for a high level meeting with all the agencies in the next few days and will come up with a plan of action," said Jacques. He added that the MMC is already working in this direction as an agreement has been inked with Fomento for the project.

Naik also inspected the ongoing widening of the road near St Joaquim Chapel, Borda-Margao, in the presence of the district collector.

View the original article here

Waste plan gets 2 month deadline - Deccan Chronicle

July 6: Lakhs of families living in the vicinity of the Jawahar Nagar garbage dumping yard can finally hope to breathe some fresh air. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has asked Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited to complete the construction of the segregation and leachate treatment plants, compost units and scientific landfill facility sites within two months.

The GHMC commissioner, Mr M.T. Krishna Babu on Wednesday inspected the ongoing works on the Rs 897-crore integrated solid waste management project being executed by Ramky at the dumping yard and set the deadline for completion of four major components of the project. Currently the city’s garbage is neither segregated nor disposed scientifically. As a result of dumping untreated degradable and non-degradable waste at Jawahar Nagar, besides the air, the ground water too has got polluted.

Garbage segregation plant, leachate treatment plant and leachate sump, sorting plant, compost units and landfill sites are the main components of the project that will gradually put an end to air and ground water pollution besides allowing the segregation of garbage at least at the dumping yard if not at the door steps of citizens. The leachate treatment plant will suck out the liquids from the garbage, while the sorting plant will segregate materials that are harmful for environment, those that will be sent for recycling and to compost units. When contacted, the GHMC additional commissioner, health and sanitation, Mr S.K. Aleem Basha, who accompanied the commissioner on his inspection, confirmed that Ramky has to complete construction of segregation, leachate treatment plants, sorting and compost units besides the landfill site in the next two months.

View the original article here

Waste firm Biffa hit with £27000 fine for stench at Wearside rubbish dump - Sunderland Echo

 Joyce Dixon of Friends of Houghton.

A WASTE management company has been fined £27,000 after residents kicked up a stink about smells from a rubbish dump.

Houghton residents complained to the Environment Agency (EA) about the landfill site.

Inspectors visited the dump in Houghton Quarry, which was twice found to be smelling so badly that it was breaking the law.

Owner Biffa admitted two offences under the Environmental Planning Regulations Act at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecuting for the EA, Paul Harley said inspector Gary Wallace visited the tip on February 7 last year.

He found a large pile of uncovered waste which had a foul-smelling liquid – known as leachate – running from it.

On March 2, inspector Alice Evans was called out to investigate a smell of rotten eggs in Cathedral View. Residents complained it was “pungent, gassy and a strong rotten stench”.

However she did not visit the landfill site, as it was about 9pm.

Defending, Ray Clarke called the two incidents “isolated lapses”.

He said: “Biffa would like to apologise for these regrettable incidents.

“We regret the circumstances which led to the prosecution and would like to apologise to the court, the regulator and the individuals who were affected on these particular days.”

A further three charges were dropped by the EA.

Magistrates fined Biffa £15,000 for the first offence and £12,000 for the second.

Costs of £8,250 were also ordered.

Joyce Dixon, 86, from Newbottle, a member of pressure group Residents Against Toxic Site, sat through the hearing.

Afterwards she said: “We have suffered throughout the years and it has been hell.

“We are happy that they have been brought to court.”

In a statement, Buckinghamshire-based Biffa, said: “Biffa is committed to operating all waste facilities to high standards in order to ensure the continued protection of the environment and therefore apologies for the situation which led to this prosecution.

“In addition Biffa has worked hard to rectify the situation.

“Throughout investigations, it co-operated fully with the Environment Agency and a new site management team has undertaken a series of engineering works.

“This has included the installation of further has control pipe work and site capping work in order to prevent a reoccurrence.

“The company is also working closely with its regulators and hopes to liaise more closely with key stakeholders in the community to further improve relationships.”

View the original article here

IAGI Award Winner: CLI's Floating Leachate Cover - geosynthetica.net (press release)

For the Olympic View Sanitary Landfill in Port Orchard, Washington, Colorado Lining International (CLI) fabricated and installed a defined sump floating cover system that included gas venting. The purpose of the cover installation was to prevent the mixing of rain water and leachate in the landfill collection ponds.

The geomembrane material chosen for this particular cover was XR-5 (from Seaman Corporation). It was selected in part for its excellent chemical resistance. Also, as a flexible membrane it could be pre-fabricated by CLI's team in its Colorado fabrication plant. Pre-fabrication greatly reduces the need for on-site welding of geomembrane panels, so the site installation work can be carried out more quickly and economically.

In addition to the fabrication and installation of the floating cover, the project required the removal of old aerators, design of new bubbler system, construction of a concrete beam, redo of the system's electrical panel, installation of 3,000 feet of drain pipe, and fence removal and replacement. As a design/build project, all of this work had to occur without draining the collection pond.

Extraordinary coordination among the project team and CLI's experts helped complete the cover and affiliated activities within the client's budget and without disturbing the collection pond, which remained in service throughout the process.

Now in its third full year of operation since the installation work, a savings of $175,000 to $200,000 per year has been calculated for treatment and transportation costs (based on yearly rainfall).

This project was recognized by the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) during the association's installation awards of excellence ceremony, which took place during the Geo-Frontiers 2011 conference in Dallas.

Waste Management

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Garbage in, landfill easing out of Fremont County - Rexburg Standard Journal

Posted: Monday, July 11, 2011 10:31 pm | Updated: 12:26 pm, Tue Jul 12, 2011.

ST. ANTHONY - Fremont County is working in two directions to fulfill its obligation to dispose of solid waste within the county.

On one front, Commissioner Lee Miller is serving on the multicounty Eastern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District that's working to get a garbage-incinerator energy plant built in Clark County.

On the other, County Public Works Director Marla Vik is starting the lengthy process to get the St. Anthony Landfill closed.

Miller said Monday the Solid Waste Board signed an agreement last week that will give Dynamis Technology the contract to build and own the $56 million plant, with the board retaining jurisdiction over operations.

Bonneville, Madison, Clark and Fremont comprise the district, with Bonneville contributing the largest waste stream to the plant.

The board had debated whether to own the plant or have Dynamis own it.

Earlier this summer the district won judicial confirmation to sell bonds to pay for it.

Dynamis will charge a $28 per ton tipping fee to process the garbage, with the county's estimated net cost at $18 per ton. The company also has agreed to build a transfer station in St. Anthony, where garbage will be processed for hauling to the Dubois plant. The county would pay the company back through revenue received through the sale of power to Rocky Mountain Power.

Miller said some permits still must be secured, and a delegation plans to meet soon with the governor's office to try to speed up the process. According to Miller, Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has been a strong supporter for the project, which will bring an estimated 35 jobs to the tiny county, as well as companies that are looking to use byproducts of the process, such as ash for concrete.

Fremont County estimates it will send about 6,000 tons of trash a year to the plant, where two sets of four burners that will incinerate about 330 tons of household garbage, tires and other inflammables a day to produce steam that will generate up to 15 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power about 650 average homes and light 10,000 100-watt light bulbs.

Closing the St. Anthony Landfill

The construction of the plant comes at a particularly opportune time for Fremont County, where leachate problems have led to a decision to close the landfill rather than try to open another very expensive cell while continuing to deal with the potentially contaminated leachate.

County Public Works Supervisor Marla Vik says the water from a heavy snowfall and spring rains were "a horrible thing for the landfill" in St. Anthony. (The county also operates a landfill in Island Park).

Four small ponds and a trench are being used to collect the leachate, a liquid solution that has leached from the solid waste and may contain contaminants harmful to the groundwater.

"We will start the process to close the landfill," she says. "Initially we will transfer trash to Madison County until Dubois is ready."

"The landfill in St. Anthony is going out of business," Commission Chairman Skip Hurt says.

As it does, it's likely garbage fees will be going up in the county, at least initially.

Miller says the county already generates between $80,000 to $100,000 annually in recycling revenue. As the methods of disposing of trash change, he sees an opportunity for educating the public on the need to recycle more. "The more we recycle, the less we will pay in the future."

© 2011 Rexburg Standard Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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End of the line for nutrients and pesticides - Golf Course Industry Magazine

It is often necessary to install subsurface drain lines to reduce soil moisture levels for healthy plant growth. Properly-installed drain lines retain sufficient amounts of water and air in the soil, as well as stimulate microbial activity. Drain lines help prevent rutting and soil compaction by golf carts or maintenance equipment, and they allow golf course access soon after heavy rains. However, subsurface drainage may carry nutrients and pesticides to surface waters. In this way, subsurface drainage bypasses managed and natural filter processes, including riparian zones and vegetated buffer strips.

The goals of this research were to investigate the use of industrial by-products and natural minerals as filter media to reduce the amount phosphorus and three pesticides (chlorothalonil, mefenoxam, and propiconazole) from golf course tile drainage outlets to surface waters. The most recent field study was conducted at the Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, using a filter housing designed by KriStar Enterprises. A different filter design will be assessed in the near future at the Royal American Golf Course located in Galena, Ohio.

The Texas experiment was conducted on an 8,000 square-foot, splitdesign chipping green. The green was originally designed to test alternative materials for the gravel layer used in green construction. In lieu of gravel, the north half of the green was constructed with AirDrain Geocells (polypropylene plastic grid system covered by a geotextile), while the south half used a geogrid (double-layer, polypropylene plastic grid sandwiched between two geotextile layers).

For this study, two filter boxes (which house three filter cartridges filled with by-products and natural minerals) were installed. Two storm events, which consisted of three 3,785-liter (1,000-gallon), 10-minute irrigations at 2-hour intervals, were simulated on separate days. Each day, phosphorus, mefenoxam, chlorothalonil and propiconazole were applied to the green prior to the first irrigation and according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

On day one of experimentation, no filter media were placed into the cartridges to determine the influence of the filter box construction itself on contaminant removal. On day two, the empty cartridges were swapped out for new ones filled with a 14-liter blend of blast furnace slag, cement kiln dust, zeolite, sand and coconut shell activated carbon. A total of four Isco 6712 portable samplers were positioned to collect simultaneous water samples at the inflow and outflow of the filter boxes, thus providing a before-and-after assessment. Flow measurements were recorded by two Isco 4230 bubbler flow meters located at the discharge end of the filter boxes and ranged from 0.0034 L/s (0.05 gal/min) to 0.6433 L/s (10.16 gal/min).

Water samples and flow measurements were collected and recorded at predetermined time intervals throughout the course of the storm simulations. Pre- and post-filter phosphorus, chlorothalonil, mefenoxam and propiconazole loads were calculated by multiplying sample concentration measurements by flow rates. Of the four contaminants investigated, only chlorothalonil was removed in statistically significant quantities.

Median chlorothalonil removal was 69%, while the highest was 96%. Interestingly, chlorothalonil removal was very high at peak flows. Phosphate, mefenoxam and propiconazole were not removed, highlighting the need to optimize the filter blend as well as the importance of conducting field-scale versus laboratory-scale studies. In a previous laboratory-scale study, these by-products and minerals removed >85% quantities of the investigated contaminants, which was not the case in the field.

Our studies indicate that the most important factor in developing an end- of-tile filter is designing the system to handle larger flow rates, which directly impacts the amount of contact time with the filter materials. In general, the longer the contact time, the greater the removal efficiency. GCI

Kevin W. King , Ph.D., agricultural engineer, USDA-ARS, Columbus, Ohio. Sheela G. Agrawal , Ph.D., research chemist, USDA-ARS, Columbus, Ohio. James F. Moore, director of construction, USGA Green Section, Waco, Texas. Jim Balogh, Ph.D., senior research soil scientist and chief executive officer, spectrum research, Inc., Duluth, Minn.

Connecting the dots

Jeff Nuss, Ph.D., manager, Green Section Research interviews Dr. Kevin King regarding the research of end-of-tile filters for removing nutrients and pesticides.

Do your results suggest end-of-tile filters can be effective at removing nutrients and pesticides from course leachate?

Depending on the chemistries of the pollutants and the hydrologic characteristics, filters could be successfully used on golf course drainage lines. The products that we are currently investigating have a strong affinity for phosphorus and some pesticides.

What kinds of materials are used to filter water, and what kinds of characteristics are important for them to be effective at removing nutrients and pesticides?

Phosphorus seems to be the primary nutrient of concern in golf course discharge waters; thus, we have focused on materials high in iron, aluminum, and calcium. The materials should also have a large surface area that increases the number of exchange sites, leading to more adsorption and precipitation. For phosphorus, we have experimented with granulated blast furnace slag and cement kiln dust. For pesticides, we are using activated carbon, a material frequently used water treatment facilities. In addition to their surface area and adsorptive capacity, the materials must be permeable enough to permit water to flow through them.

Are the materials similar to those used in tap water filters that homeowners can attach to their kitchen faucets?

Yes and no. The materials used for home filtration systems are primarily composed of sands and activated carbons, similar to what we are using. More recently, home filtration systems are using membrane technology.

Besides the filter material’s chemical characteristics, what design elements are crucial in developing a system to remove nutrients and pesticides from golf course leachate? How important are factors such as flow rate and the time leachate resides in the filter?

Our studies indicate that the most important factor in developing an end-of- tile filter is designing the system to handle larger flow rates that directly impact the amount of contact time with the filter materials. In general, the longer the contact time, the greater the removal efficiency.

Do some other facets of agronomy (i.e. row-crop agriculture) use end-of-tile filters for similar purposes? If so, how successful have they been?

There is a significant effort underway to develop both end-of-tile and in-stream treatment technologies for the agriculture industry. Those efforts are being met with the same challenges, primarily flow rate. Treating 100 percent of the discharge waters is not a feasible undertaking, so the general consensus is that we need to treat the lower flows. For example, the lower 50 percent to 60 percent of flows are treated, while the remainder of flow is bypassed and untreated.

If proven successful, how long would you estimate that end-of-tile filters could be useful? In other words, how often would superintendents have to change filters (or filter material) from end-of-tile units from a putting green or section of fairway?

The life expectancy of the filters is really tied to the type and amount of pollutants and the amount of filter material that is used; the more filter material, the longer the life expectancy. This really gets back to the design. Our experience thus far suggests that the cartridge-type system that we are researching has a life expectancy of approximately six months to a year. We believe that for the golf industry a filter can be designed that would last at least a year, and maybe two.

When “charged” or used filter materials are ready for replacement with fresh filter media, how do you see the “charged” material being handled? Since filter materials would contain pesticides and nutrients, would they need to be handled as hazardous materials, or could “charged” filter materials be topdressed on turfgrass sites and let the natural degradation process take place?

We do not have a clear answer for this. However, we do not believe that the spent materials would be considered hazardous, and they would be permitted to be surface applied back to the golf course. Further investigation is required to fully answer this question.

Do you feel public concern about water quality could someday lead to regulation that mandates the use of end-of-tile filters for golf courses? Is the USEPA aware of your work, and, if so, what has their response been?

I am not aware of any formalized public concern over water quality. The concern appears to me to be agency driven. My personal opinion is that we are already at the regulation point. For any new development or existing course redevelopment, receiving a permit for a sensitive area requires a mitigation strategy. Everything that the golf industry can do to head off further regulation is a good thing. To my knowledge, the USEPA is not aware of our research. Historically, tile outlets have not been considered point sources, and we do not want our research to lead to that debate.

Have you implemented end-of-tile filters on watershed-scale sites? If so, have these sites included golf courses and how effective have they been to reduce nutrient and pesticide concentrations of watershed leachate?

We are just now initiating some watershed-scale filtration research using the end-of-tile concept, so we don’t have any preliminary results to discuss at this time. The site where we are conducting our research is a 3,400-acre watershed in central Ohio. The land use in the watershed is primarily agriculture. The outlet of the watershed is a spillway of an approximately two-acre pond located on a golf course. The pond is the primary irrigation supply for the golf course. We have installed a flow-regulating structure at the outlet of the pond and have started to investigate different filter materials and designs for capturing both nutrients and pesticides.

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Board to talk about landfill - Port Huron Times Herald

The cost of a multimillion-dollar project at the Smiths Creek Landfill is increasing.

The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners will get an overview of the changes during committee meetings at 6 p.m. tonight in the county administration building, 200 Grand River Ave., Port Huron.

Landfill manager Matt Williams said the changes are minor. The county is in the midst of a project that will allow leachate -- water that's come into contact with garbage at the landfill -- to be partially treated before it's sent to the Port Huron wastewater treatment facility.

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The price tag on a contract for building a pretreatment facility at the landfill has increased about $32,500 from the original $3,159,000, Williams said. The cost of building a four-mile pipeline to carry the leachate from the landfill to lagoons at the county airport started at $696,691 and has increased about $14,500.

The cost of a third piece of the project -- the lagoons at the county airport -- is expected to cost about $1.1 million.

Several things contributed to the increases, including changes to the amount of materials and equipment needed. Treating the leachate in advance will save the county money on disposal costs, Williams said.

Also at tonight's meeting, Mark Brochu, director of parks and recreation, will update county commissioners on bids for building a lodge at Columbus County Park, Kronner and Crawford roads in Columbus Township.

Members of the recreation commission want input from county commissioners on how to proceed with the project, Brochu said.

Brown Builders of Lexington was the lowest bidder of four companies, with a $1,889,781 prevailing-wage bid and a $1,750,550 open-wage bid. Alternate plans submitted by Brown Builders could knock about $100,000 off the cost, Brochu said.

The bids are more than the estimated construction cost for the project, Brochu said. The overall cost of the project -- including design work -- is expected to be about $2.2 million.

The lodge building would include a picnic shelter, meeting rooms, restrooms and a warming area for the winter months.

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Elected reps to have final say on pipeline - The Kerryman

PUBLIC opposition to plans to pipe leachate from the North Kerry landfill site to the already hard-pressed Castleisland Sewage Treatment plant is coming to a head in town this week ahead of a deadline this Friday for public submissions on the proposal.

The plan provides for a 10km pipeline from the landfill site at Muingnaminnane to take the effluent of the dump into the treatment plant in Castleisland. Leachate is a general term for the liquid formed by rainwater passing through materials. Landfill leachate can contain a variety of toxic substances; the toxicity dependant on the type of materials stored in the landfill.

Over 40 locals attended a public meeting with Kerry County Council engineers that was convened by Councillor Bobby O'Connell last month, following which numerous concerns have been raised by locals. Councillor Danny Healy Rae also signalled local concerns on the matter on this page last week; after his efforts to press the council to extend the treatment plant to service College Road, Brosna Road and Tullig.

He became alarmed when he learned of the plan to take leachate into the facility despite the authority's insistence the plant could not even cater for these local areas.

Strong, local momentum is now building for an upfront, bare-knuckled public meeting on the matter. With Castleisland's traditional, no holds-barred history of such meetings it would be advisable for those in charge of this proposed development to take notice.

"To expect an overworked sewage treatment plant in the middle of a small town to deal with the s**t of a whole county when it can't handle its own is tearing the arse of it," said a local with a gift for vernacular eloquence during the week.

Some of the concerns being raised by locals include the possible threat they think the pipeline might pose to the water table.

"The 10.8 kilometres is excessively long and the leachate should be treated on site in accordance with EPA recommendations," one concerned resident of town wrote.

"As there are a number of private water wells in the area (some within 20 feet of the proposed pipe) any leak into the limestone soil from the pipe will have catastrophic consequences for the families concerned. Vents measuring 4 metres (approx 13 feet) above ground will be an eyesore. These vents will be located every 500-700 metres and there is the potential for noxious smells from these vents."

Locals are concerned that any damage to the pipeline might result in the leakage of the toxic leachate into the water table and also have serious concerns over the plans to run the pipeline in proximity to our water mains.

Observations regarding the proposed development should be sent to engineer in charge of the project Conor Culloo at The Environment Department of Kerry County Council, Main Street, Tralee, by Friday, July 8 next.

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Investigation Reveals Potential Public Health Hazard - WVNS-TV

CHARLESTON -- Scientists call it "leachate." Trash haulers call it "compacter juice." It's the awful stuff that trickles, oozes and splashes out the back of the trucks that haul your garbage.

No question it's dirty. But our news department wondered if it was also dangerous.

(The video above is not related to the article but we thought it might interest you.)

So we had it tested. What we found shocked the seasoned experts we consulted. And it may mean the street where you live has a lot more in common with an open sewer in a Third World country than you ever imagined.

We followed compactor trucks on three separate days in different parts of Charleston, watching them crush trash and squeeze out smelly trails and pools of liquid on dozens of streets. It quickly became clear the cloudy fluid was pouring out into puddles or being drizzled in looping arcs up one street and down another.

But is it dangerous?

We took samples from a random truck on a random day. Not a scientific study, but a kind of snapshot of the contamination draining onto the streets from city garbage trucks.

"When I first saw the results for the fecal coliform, for the E. coli, I was pretty shocked at the large amount of bacteria found in the leachate," said Anita Ray, Environmental Health Director at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. "I am not used to seeing counts that high in things that we would routinely sample, such as outflow from a malfunctioning sewage system."

That's right. Contamination levels in the liquid are so high the only thing to compare it to is untreated sewage.

"Quite obviously," said Ray, "from the lab results that you have pulled just from this one snapshot in time, it indicates there is a pretty high potential for a public health hazard."

The bacteria E. Coli can make you extremely sick, or even kill you. It's also used as an indicator of other dangerous microorganisms. It's so dangerous, levels of E. coli in treated wastewater, for instance, can't be more than a few hundred when it's poured into the Kanawha River (depending on the number of tests). But one leachate sample we took spewing from the back of a garbage truck came back with a reading well over 4,000,000. Another was 16,000,000. And a third pegged the meter. All the lab could determine was that it was above 60,000,000.

That's why Ray calls these puddles and wet trails on your streets a potential public health hazard. Even after it dries, it's picked up on shoes, stroller wheels, anything.

"The worst case scenario, as I've said before," Ray said, "is if you have a child that has a ball or something and runs through the street, the object runs through this stuff and then the child contacts it with their hands, then puts their hand in their mouth or whatever, you've got a real potential for a transfer of that E. coli into the child's system."

How does Ray account for readings that high?

"If I might speculate, which I don't like to do ordinarily," Ray offered, "it could also be because the trucks -- and I have no idea of knowing this -- may not be cleaned out on a daily basis, and that may be showing up as a accumulative residue, if you will, of that bacteria along with the day's collection."

In other words, an unwashed truck could wind up being a big Petri dish, collecting and growing bacteria over time, and then spewing it out onto your street for your kids to play in and your dog to track into the house. And maybe make you very sick.

You can find a copy of our lab results here.

In the second part of this Hometown Investigation, we'll look under Charleston garbage trucks to figure out why so many leave wet trails of dangerous leachate behind, and we'll reveal the $10 fix for the problem.

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Letter: Supervisors supporting expanded landfill should go - MPNnow.com

Recent newspaper stories have mentioned Ontario County residents questioning whether the county Board of Supervisors has a conflict of interest which should prevent it from being the lead agency (instead of the Department of Environmental Conservation) in the latest 50 percent expansion of the county landfill.

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Despite what appeared to be an obvious conflict arising from the county’s lucrative management contract with Casella Waste, the board resolved the question by appointing itself lead agency. The larger questions concern whether the board really represents the citizens of Ontario County on landfill issues and, if not, why do these supervisors continue to be elected?

The Environmental Assessment Form for this project contains some important facts: The project area is 100 acres including construction of about 40 additional acres of liner area. The expansion will generate three to four million additional gallons of leachate per year, which will be taken to the wastewater treatment plant at the Canandaigua Outlet. The landfill generated over 16 million gallons of “primary leachate” in 2010, and some of it is still being trucked to Geneva for treatment and discharge into Seneca Lake. There are three streams contiguous to the project area. The anticipated rate of disposal will be 77,500 tons per month. The expansion will involve placing waste up to 150 to 180 feet above current grades in the expansion area. Objectionable odors will occur routinely. Excavation for mining purposes of more than 1,000 tons of natural material will occur. Some of the excavation may occur off site, with resulting additional truck traffic. Truck traffic would also increase due to hauling of additional leachate.

The form concedes there is a “minor” risk associated with the release of leachate “to the environment” if an accident occurs.

This is the “gold,” the “treasure” which Canandaigua supervisor David Baker described during discussions about accepting sewage sludge from Suffolk County. Many people in the City of Geneva and others downstream and downwind from the dump don’t consider things like industrial solid waste and sewage sludge to be “treasure.”

The people of Canandaigua and the west end of Ontario County should wake up and question their supervisors about why this ongoing infusion of poison into the heart of Ontario County should continue. There is no more important issue for the county’s future. Supervisors who continue to support landfill expansion should be voted out.

SAM C. BONNEY
Geneva

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Neighbors of dairy farm worry about gas, smell - Green Bay Press Gazette

TOWN OF HARTLAND ? Plans to triple manure storage space at a large Shawano County dairy farm has raised concerns among neighbors worried about gas and other potential problems.

The neighbors have complained to Hartland Town Board members, who are looking into the matter.

"They don't want the manure storage facility and the smell and the gas it gives off," said Jay Teschke, a Town Board supervisor.

However, the $1.5 million project at Schmidt's Ponderosa was necessary to keep the business viable while following state regulations, owner Paul Schmidt said.

The dairy farm ? about two miles southeast of Bonduel ? was granted a permit by the state Department of Natural Resources three months ago, according to records reviewed at the DNR office in Green Bay. Final agency approval of the engineering plans for the storage facilities is expected soon.

Schmidt was required to increase the amount of manure storage to nearly 7.9 million gallons as part of the renewal of the farm's Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The new permit is good for five years, until March 31, 2016.

"We're just upgrading to (meet) the new regulations that came out, and do what we needed to do by the county and the state," Schmidt said. "We've always tried to be a leader in running a well-cared-for farm, with care for the environment, the whole nine yards."

Schmidt expanded his herd from about 987 animal units to 1,441 ? or about 1,000 head ? several years ago.

"We have to try to milk extra cows to spread the costs" over the project, he said.

DNR records show he plans to increase to about 1,916 animal units, or about 1,368 heads, but Schmidt said that's only a possibility down the road. Schmidt said he does plan to expand to about 1,742 animal units, or about 1,140 head.

The state requires dairy farms to have at least 180 days of liquid manure storage available, said Casey Jones, an agricultural specialist with the DNR in Oshkosh. The six-month rule is intended so that large animal operations can empty their manure storage in the fall, and then safely hold it until spring, she said. Farms aren't allowed to apply manure when ground is snow-covered or frozen, or in February or March, considered the high-risk run-off period.

To accommodate the herd growth, Schmidt has already expanded his dairy facilities, including barns and feed pad. To meet the requirements of the permit, he is planning to build a second manure storage facility and feed storage leachate runoff controls.

When complete, the expanded operation is expected to generate about 15.2 million gallons of manure and process wastewater each year, the permit says.

The project will increase the size of the current storage facility from about 2.5 million gallon to nearly 3.4 million gallons, Schmidt's permit application says The second storage facility will have a capacity of nearly 4.5 million gallons.

Neighbors didn't learn about the project until they recently noticed excavating equipment at the site, said Tom Riehl, who said he lives about 1.5 miles away from Schmidt's farm. "It's a surprise to all of us," Riehl said.

The additional storage to be constructed is about one-quarter mile away from the feed storage and current manure facility.

Legal notices about the project were published on Feb. 16. Such notices ask for public comment, but none was received before the permit was issued on March 21.

Schmidt said construction never started. Topsoil was being moved to prepare berms, he explained.

Riehl also said he and others were concerned by information they received at a recent meeting about the project, which said that the combination of manure and leachate from a feed storage facility can create toxic gas.

"It's beyond bizarre, especially when it's only 300 feet from one of the neighbors," Riehl said.

Jones, of the DNR, noted that the neighbors should not be alarmed.

"It's just warning folks that the combination may cause issues," Jones said. "It's open-air storage ... there's certainly not a concern for public health, I would say."

She noted that other large farms around the state have storage facilities that collect both feed leachate and hold liquid manure.

"It's a pretty common practice," Jones said.

There's no requirement for manure storage to be a certain distance from other property or homes. The only rule is they must be at least 250 feet from a private well, Jones said.

The plans for the storage facilities have been reviewed and approved by an engineer for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The only thing left is the final review and OK by a DNR engineer, who Jones said is expected to issue an approval letter next week.

"Everything they've shown meets the standards," Jones said.

Jay Teschke, a Town Board supervisor, said board members heard some complaints about the project from neighbors at a meeting Tuesday, and they also presented a petition opposing the project. The petition, with between 20 and 25 signatures, also asks the board to delay or stop the project, Teschke said.

Board members decided to ask the town's lawyer to review the issue and make sure Schmidt has all the correct permits.

The entire Schmidt Ponderosa project, which will cost about $1.5 million, is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30. Schmidt said doesn't expect the finishing work, such as seeding around the storage facility, to be done until October.

Jones, of the DNR, said Schmidt could be granted an extension should there be delays in local permits, but doubted it could be blocked.

"I don't believe so," she said. "It's not subject to environmental assessment or public input procedures. Everything they did met the requirements."

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Narela-Bawana landfill site to be operational next week - Times of India

Narela-Bawana landfill site to be operational next week - Times Of India

NEW DELHI: The city's first scientific landfill site at Narela-Bawana Road will be operational next week. With a capacity to handle 1200 metric tonnes of waste every day, the sanitory landfill (SLF) site will take the load off other landfill site, which are over-saturated. Here, solid waste will be segregated and processed to obtain Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) for industrial use, manure and recyclable material among others.

"Of the 1200 metric tonnes of garbage that will be transported here, only 200 metric tones will be dumped at the site. All the rest will be processed," said Delhi mayor Rajni Abbi, who called a meeting to discuss the situation on Monday. Garbage collected from the Rohini and Civil Lines zones of the MCD will be dumped at this site. The civic agency has also decided to procure three new bulldozers to level solid waste at SLF sites. Built at a cost of Rs 70 crore, the site will have facilities for material recovery, treating leachate (toxic water discharged from garbage during decomposing), trapping harmful gases and RDF. The leachate will be collected and treated before being released into storm water drains.

"Solid waste will be segregated and all material such as paper, metal and cloth will be recycled. Bio-degradable material will be sent to the composting plant while the rest will be used to produce refuse derived fuel. All the waste from these processes will be dumped at the landfill siite. The RDF produced from the site can be used by industries," said a senior MCD official.

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How to Manage Food Waste - Alternatives to Landfill Where it Adds to Leachate Production - Natural Resources Defense Council (blog)

Food waste is approximately 14% of the household waste we discard. Food waste is of concern to environmental agencies and municipalities because in landfills food waste is a primary cause of methane gas emissions, a very potent greenhouse gas, and the methanogens that food waste supports in landfills also cause the mobilization of other pollutants in landfills, resulting in an increase in both air pollutants and leachate.

In waste combustors, food waste is a cause of nitrogen oxide emissions, which is also a greenhouse gas, as well as a cause of smog and respiratory illness. Moreover, since food waste can contain as much as 70% water, it is not a high Btu fuel, and therefore is not well-suited for combustion. The best disposal option for food waste is neither landfilling nor incineration. Ideally, food waste should be composted. If you have a compost bin where you live, you can incorporate food waste into your home compost – if not, consider setting up a home compost system. Home composting avoids transportation of organic wastes, saving fuel and other resources associated with transporting waste. There are many resources describing the options for home composting, including http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=441 – these range from backyard bins to vermicompost (worm bins), and can be tailored to fit your needs. In some communities (such as San Francisco), food waste is collected in curbside recycling programs, usually along with yard waste. Typically, in a municipal composting system, you can compost a wider variety of wastes (including animal products and food-soiled paper) than you might be able to accommodate in home composting. Check with your local waste management authority to find options for the disposal of food and yard wastes in your community.

If you don’t have access to composting, you can dispose of most food waste in under-sink food waste disposers, also known as garbage disposals. Many municipal wastewater treatment facilities have anaerobic digesters that extract energy in the form of biogas from solids in the waste water, and most can produce soil amendments such as fertilizer from processed solids. Some wastewater treatment systems benefit from the addition of food solids, because that can make the process of converting waste into energy more efficient, but too much or the wrong types of food waste can overwhelm the system. This is one of the reasons it makes sense to use in-sink disposers as a complement to municipal and backyard composting programs. Moreover, in-sink food disposal systems increase the amount of water used at home. Although this increase is only a small amount for any individual home, the added water from tens of thousands of homes switching to in-sink disposal units can be significant. Finally, cooking oils, fats, and greases should never be disposed of down the drain. Even if you use hot water, detergents, or garbage disposals, oils can congeal in pipes and potentially contribute to sewage backups.

To sum up, food scraps should not be sent to landfills or incinerators. Instead, the best option for disposing of food waste is composting, whether at home or in a municipal system. The next best option is typically an in-sink waste disposer – but check to make sure your community isn’t running low on water before using garbage disposals, and make sure only to put allowed wastes down the drain.

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