Residents are concerned about a landfill bund settlement crack which according to a local press news release threatens tp allow a leachate escape at the South Hadley, Industrial Drive Landfill, Alabama. Although the article raises concerns though, the questions which remains unanswered and which surely is an obvious one is; "How much leachate is sitting in the landfill which could leak out in the event of a rupture of the lining membrane". Until that is known, the reporter really doesn't have a news story. Settlement will take place in all landfilled waste. In fact, of the order of 30% settlement over the first few years is not uncommon, so cracks can occur. Even if the crack casued a rupture, as long as the landfill operator has drained all leachate out of the landfill - which is good practice anyway - there will be NO RISK. Thta is surely clear form a thousand miles away. Read the original article, by following the link below. We have included an excarpt below for your convenience:
The 20-foot crack in a 2-year-old retaining wall at the town landfill presents a threat to public health, safety and the environment, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.The fissure could allow waste to leak into groundwater and damage the dump's power infrastructure. It could also damage properties abutting the Industrial Drive landfill, a site operator Interstate Waste Services of Ramsey, N.J., is eyeing for a 13-acre expansion.
"At this point our greatest concern is solid waste already put into the facility migrating off the site," said Catherine Skiba, spokeswoman for the DEP's Springfield office.
The crack was discovered in late December during a routine evaluation of the dump's mechanically stabilized earth berm, a triangle-shaped mound made up of earth and a reinforcement substance, typically the same material used to line landfills. The mechanically stabilized earth berm - the first and only one to be used in a Massachusetts landfill - has allowed for the vertical addition of waste to the site.
The DEP has a list of potentially dangerous scenarios the crack could unleash. Foremost among them is a garbage infused, liquid leachate, making its way into surface water or groundwater. South Hadley Department of Public Works Superintendent James Reidy said there are no significant sources of drinking water in the area of the landfill.
"There's certainly streams that pass through the area, Buttery Brook being the closest," he said, "but nothing as far as drinking water supplies."
The crack could also: damage the landfill gas control system, damage the force main that carries leachate to the sewer, interrupt power to pump and flare stations or result in waste showing up on abutting properties, according to the unilateral administrative order the DEP sent to South Hadley in early April.
In the order, the DEP calls for an in-depth study of the rupture by an unbiased engineer. That investigation is already under way. A report by Specialty Civil Designs in Fairhope, Ala., is due by May 19 and should reveal how deep the crack is, which potential hazards it poses, what the fallout may be and possible remediation.
Skiba said DEP and town officials expected some shifting of materials as the berm settled, and the current settlement measure is within the original design estimate.
"The settlement was expected to occur shortly after construction, but it was not certain how the settlement would be expressed on the landfill and berm," she said.
Meanwhile, assessments of the berm's stability have increased from quarterly to weekly and additional points are now being monitored. The crack has been filled with a sand-cement grout mixture to stave off further deterioration. The grout filler may be the fissure's permanent fix, Reidy said.
"We have to wait for the results of the report, but this appears to be the long-term fix," he said.
Since being discovered, no visual changes to the crack have been observed, Skiba said. Also, the crack has not affected the solar array built into the berm, she said.
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