Having cosponsored SWANA’s Landfill Excellence Awards for the last four years, we at MSW Management have had the opportunity to review the activities of some of the best facilities in North America. It is clear to us that in each instance the bar has been raised for those who will follow. Notice that this year the judges awarded a tie for the Bronze Award…proof that the competition is stiffening.

By John Trotti

Gold Award
Silver Award
Bronze Award #1
Bronze Award #2

Once more it is with tremendous pride that as cosponsor with SWANA, we honor four MSW landfill sites chosen for their overall outstanding performance in all aspects of site planning, development and construction, and daily operation. The standards used in judging the entrants are the highest in the industry, and the application and review process is extremely rigorous, so we ask you to join us in applauding those selected as the winners of the prestigious 2000 Landfill Excellence Awards.

Gold Award

Countywide RDF/Republic Services, Inc. of OhioCountywide RDF provides a multitude of solid waste services for northeast Ohio residents. Countywide’s service area encompasses a 26-county area, including Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Coshocton, and New Philadelphia. Countywide accepts no out-of-state wastes.

Countywide’s primary service is the safe disposal of nonhazardous solid waste. The facility currently is permitted to accept 5,000 tpd and typically receives approximately 3,000 tpd of municipal, commercial, and industrial nonhazardous waste. The site accepts nonhazardous liquid waste at its solidification facility, located conveniently on top of the landfill, and operates a bioremediation facility for treatment and beneficial use of petroleum-contaminated soils adjacent to the solidification operation. And finally, Countywide operates a Class IV compost facility on-site for the recycling of yardwastes and a public drop-off area for recyclables.

Facility Design and Construction

Because of the previous strip-mining activities at the facility as well as the rural location, Countywide RDF is an excellent location for a solid waste disposal facility. The previous mining activities provided a basis for design of the landfill, in addition to design challenges. Typically, earlier strip miners excavated down to and excavated coal seams for profit, leaving the underlying clay deposits for future use in the landfill liner system. The current 88-ac. and future 180-ac. landfill footprint is designed with mining considerations in mind. For example, much of the current proposed expansion area is designed with base grades equaling the vertical mining extent.

Countywide has generally constructed one landfill cell per year during its 10-year history. Each cell consists of an 8- to 15-ac. liner segment, separated by intercell berms. As mentioned previously, Countywide prides itself on being an entirely lined landfill, which is rare in the state of Ohio. While cells one and two were constructed by Countywide personnel, contractors have constructed the rest of the cells. Countywide’s current liner system consists of the following:

• excavation and/or structural fill to approved bottom-of-liner grades;
• a 3-ft. recompacted clay liner, 90% mined on-site;
• a geocomposite liner layer consisting of bentonite and synthetic fabrics;
• a textured, 60-mil HDPE liner;
• an 8- to 16-oz. sewn geotextile as a cushion layer;
• a leachate collection system consisting of shredded, fine chips of gravel, and 6-in.-diameter piping covered with a geocomposite texnet material;
• frost protection (typically straw) and a protective layer (sand or select waste) as required;
• a 5-ft. select waste "fluff’ layer.

In 1995, Countywide pioneered a thorough testing program including onsite test loads and laboratory testing and was subsequently approved by the Ohio EPA (OEPA) as the first solid waste facility in the state to use shredded tire chips in the leachate collection system. Countywide was also permitted by OEPA as the first solid waste facility to utilize leachate recirculation in Ohio to promote decomposition by creating a "bioreactor."

Environmental Controls and Monitoring

Groundwater Monitoring. Countywide RDF monitors groundwater in both the No. 4 Brookville coal and limestone unit and the overlying mine spoil where pockets of groundwater can be found. A total of 12 groundwater wells are monitored semiannually to detect a potential release from the landfill.

Landfill Gas Monitoring. Countywide RDF monitors the migrating landfill gas (LFG) on a monthly basis, using an onsite environmental specialist. The monthly monitoring consists of sampling of 18 permanent gas monitoring probes surrounding the footprint and any occupied structures within 100 ft. of the limit of waste. In addition, quarterly surface scans are conducted in accordance with New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) requirements to ensure that LFG is not escaping through the existing cover and is collected through the an active gas collection system. The LFG monitoring and collection system layout is also attached. Because the facility is entirely lined with a composite liner system, located more than 1,000 ft. away from and at a higher elevation than the closest resident, and is continuously monitored for migrating gas, the potential for LFG migration beyond the facility is negligible. The active gas collection system at Countywide RDF consists of 37 existing vertical collection wells, which supply gas to an open gas flare. The collection system is regularly monitored in accordance with the NSPS requirements by onsite personnel.

Leachate Collection System. Leachate is collected and distributed to one of seven distribution sumps within the cells, from which it is either pumped directly to one of two recirculation fields or into storage tanks for subsequent recirculation or offsite treatment at the City of Alliance’s publicly owned treatment works. In 1999, of the 1,156,518 gal. of leachate produced, 1,009,518 gal. were recirculated. The recirculation system uses a horizontal piping network at two distribution fields on top of the landfill that route leachate through buried horizontal perforated pipes encompassing approximately 10 ac. of the landfill top. The system is designed to work automatically during facility operating hours so that monitoring for leachate outbreaks can be conducted. The system allows individual "fingers" of the recirculation system to be shut down or cut back in the event of an outbreak.

Leachate Monitoring. Each individual landfill cell is designed to maintain a maximum of 1 ft. of leachate head on the liner. With the exception of cell No. 1 that gravity-drains into a collection sump outside of its berm, all cells’ sumps are equipped to automatically maintain leachate head at the lowest possible levels. Leachate quality monitoring and collection line inspections are completed annually.

Surface-Water Control Monitoring. Surface-water runoff can come from one of three sources on-site: landfill construction, active landfill areas, or active mining acres. Countywide’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit is structured accordingly, whereby monitoring parameters are dependent upon runoff sources. Surface water is primarily managed through three existing sedimentation ponds that are monitored weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually for varying parameter lists. Because the facility is constantly under construction, sediment control is of prime importance. Engineered erosion controls, surface-water channels and diversion ditches, silt fencing, temporary sediment sumps, and surface-water pond booms are the primary instruments to protect against offsite sediment discharge. The pond booms consist of PVC piping draped with geotextile blankets that force incoming water through or under barrier.

Facility Operations

Installing the multilayered liner system.

Site Personnel. Countywide RDF employs 19 full-time personnel and four to eight part-time employees. In addition, all construction activities have been conducted using the same contractor since 1993.

Screening/Acceptance of Waste. Republic Services Inc. has instituted a companywide screening and acceptance program at each of its landfills. This "special waste" program requires that all generators of industrial wastes obtain preapproval of their wastestream prior to disposal at the facility. All generators must provide a written identification of waste along with a certification that the waste is nonhazardous according to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Ohio regulations. A special waste-tracking document or a manifest positively entitles that each truckload must accompany all approved special wastes. In addition to hazardous wastes, car batteries, polychlorinated biphenyls containing wastes, friable asbestos, and whole tires are prohibited. Source separated yardwaste is restricted from the landfill but may be accepted at the Class IY compost facility. Incoming loads are weighed by either of two 70-ft. low-profile scales that feed data to a computerized ticket entry system.

Placement of Waste. The landfill operates between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The first step is the removal of daily cover consisting of three different materials: 6-12 in. of onsite excavated soils, various waste products approved by OEPA, and synthetic alternative daily cover (ADC) panel made of woven propylene geotextile material that typically lasts for periods of up to 6 months. All trucks leaving the scales are directed to the active working face. Smaller residential loads (cars and pickup trucks) are unloaded at the residential unloading center located only 500 ft. from the scales and ticket office. Waste is spread in typical 1- to 2-ft. layers constructed as close to horizontal as possible. Density and daily-cover usage are tracked, and to date the facility achieved an overall landfill density of 1,445 lb./yd.³ At the end of each day, exposed waste is covered with soil that is then compacted with a smooth-drum roller, followed by tarps pulled across the working face and secured.

Solidification. Countywide RDF provides solidification of nonhazardous liquid wastes in a mixing tank located within the refuse over Cell 3. Liquid wastes are transported to the tank via drums, vacuum trucks, or tanker trucks ranging in shipment sizes of 100-6,000 gal. and offloaded directly into the tank and mixed with a bulking agent made of auto fluff. Drums must be properly labeled and identified with the waste name, profile number, and nonhazardous waste insignia. Liquid-drum loads typically are offloaded into the mixing tank and pierced with the trackhoe within the tank to avoid spillage and handling problems.

Bioremediation. Petroleum contaminated soils (PCS) are transported to Countywide RDF and stored on-site until such a time when enough soil is stockpiled to construct a working "bio-pile" constructed in lifts of alternating PCS, perforated piping, gravel, nutrients, and microorganisms, until a pile of approximately 8,000 yd.³ is created. The microorganisms are sprayed on top of the fertilized PCS lifts to decompose the petroleum hydrocarbons. After approximately four to six weeks, the clean soil is used for intermediate cover.

Composting. A Class IY facility permit allows for the acceptance of source-separated yardwaste consisting only of such materials as leaves, grass, tree limbs, and so on that do not contain solid waste. Yardwaste is directed to the 2-ac. compost pad and stored until sufficient materials are present to commence the composting activity. After grinding and mixing, materials are formed into windrows and allowed to cook until degraded into a rich, dark brown material that is used on-site as a soil amendment.

Site Equipment and Facilities

Countywide RDF utilizes a full compliment of company-owned equipment to conduct its solid waste disposal operations. Servicing is completed at a maintenance building containing one drive-through bay and one partial bay. Preventive maintenance and repair work are performed primarily with in-house labor. A computerized preventative maintenance program and cost-tracking system is utilized to record all oil samples, repairs, and service work.

Site Facilities and Landscaping

Over the years, Countywide RDF has prided itself on its ability to promote educational and recreational programs.

Baseball Park. Countywide RDF is currently home to two local Little League baseball teams using a field that has bleacher seats, players’ benches, a home-run fence, a backstop, and a scoreboard.

Picnic Area and Park. Adjacent to the baseball field is a picnic area featuring a large picnic pavilion, a paved basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a children’s playground, a horseshoe pit, and a stocked fishing pond. The park is open to the public upon request and has hosted numerous company and community picnics.

End-Use Plan

Countywide RDF plans to maintain a natural wildlife theme even after closure of the landfill, proposing the development of an 800-ac. Conservation and Recreation Center. The center would be opened to the public upon complete reclamation of the landfill operation. The conceptual design of the center includes the conversion of the office building into a tourist reception facility that offers a community meeting and educational room, restrooms, and storage facilities.

Silver Award

Cerro Colorado Landfill, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Cerro Colorado Landfill is the largest in New Mexico (860 ac.) and provides disposal (1,500 tpd) and waste diversion services for many of the citizens and businesses located in the Albuquerque Metropolitan area. In 1989, a permit application was submitted for the 860-ac. site, detailing the first nine cells. The permit was issued in April 1990, and operations commenced in May 1990. It was the first in New Mexico to utilize a geosynthetic liner system.

Transitioning from several smaller landfills to a new regional disposal facility provided the city the opportunity to integrate its solid waste management services. The increased distance (more than 15 mi.) to the Cerro Colorado site would require a network of convenience centers and transfer stations throughout Bernalillo County. The planning process included targeting each subset of the residential wastestream as a candidate for waste diversion and recycling. The Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) recognized that public education and citizens’ convenience are key components of a successful program.

The program starts at each household, where citizens are asked to sort specific recyclables, greenwaste, and home remodeling debris from the trash. A fleet of 48 trucks and 46 employees provides weekly collections for Albuquerque residents. Material delivered to the convenience centers is source-separated for the same items. The SWMD also manages programs to collect used oil and household hazardous waste and to promote backyard composting.

The SWMD operates as an enterprise fund with an annual budget of $35 million. Residents are charged $9.38 per month (one of the lowest fees in the Southwest) and are provided a number of services, including curbside collection of waste and recyclables, large-item pickup, a permanent household hazardous waste collection site, used-oil recycling, graffiti removal, and greenwaste collection. With a commercial tipping fee of $24/ton, the landfill is the cornerstone of one of the most cost-effective integrated solid waste management systems in the United States.

Landfill Operations

The quality of operations at the Cerro Colorado Landfill has been a priority since the planning stages. It was recognized that even an ideal site with state-of-the-art engineering would not meet the community’s high expectations without a diligent and rigorous operating philosophy. The New Mexico Environment Department has a mandatory Operator Certification Program for landfills, transfer stations, recycling, and so on. The SWMD augments this training with internal and external staff education, such as Health and Safety.

Waste Receiving. The Cerro Colorado Landfill operates seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In 1999, the landfill accepted 463,000 tons of waste and processed 280 vehicles and more than 2,000 tons of solid waste during peak days. Each incoming waste-delivery vehicle is required to stop on the scale and be processed by the weighmaster. The driver receives a load ticket from the weighmaster, and the truck is reviewed for compliance with site rules (e.g., tarps, unacceptable materials, hot loads). Once cleared, vehicles proceed on interior paved roads to the working face as directed by site signs and personnel.

Source Inspections. The SWMD conducts periodic inspections of businesses and institutions to confirm that unacceptable wastes are not disposed into the wastestream. Collection vehicle drivers are trained to identify unacceptable material on the residential routes.

Convenience-Center Inspections. At each of the three Convenience Centers, gatehouse attendants perform an initial screening of each load entering the facility. Attendants monitor for unacceptable waste on the tipping floor. Unacceptable waste is segregated for proper management. Routine inspection of random loads is performed by the waste monitor at the working face. In addition, equipment operators, landfill attendants, and supervisors are trained to identify and segregate unacceptable waste.

Hot work under the New Mexico sun.

Daily-Cover Application. Daily cover is applied primarily by the scrapers throughout the working day to keep the area of exposed waste to a minimum. This is particularly important for debris control on windy days, which are common to the Rio Puerco Ridge. The soils balance for the project uses the subsequent cell as the source of daily and intermediate cover for the previous one. This sequence allows for the next cell to be ready for lining in advance of need. ADC options are being tested to maximize available capacity.

In addition to placing daily cover, the scrapers are used to apply both intermediate and final cover. Twelve in. of intermediate cover is placed on interior "interim" sideslopes that will receive more lifts of waste as filling progresses. Vegetation is added to stabilize the intermediate cover areas. Final cover is constructed at locations that have reached final grade, which is currently limited to perimeter sideslopes.

Maintenance. To control costs and scheduling and to sustain self-sufficiency, all routine maintenance is conducted in the 6,000 ft.² onsite facility. The structure was specifically adapted for landfill equipment and includes three full-size service bays, a fueling depot, parts storage, an administration center, employee facilities, a washdown bay, and a steam cleaner. A computerized tracking system is used to record hours, fuel usage, and performance for each piece of equipment. This process allows for scheduling of routine maintenance and also provides a performance baseline for selecting replacement units.

Dust and Litter Control. Cerro Colorado’s arid setting makes dust control a full-time job on both paved and unpaved (temporary) roadways. The 6,000-gal. water wagon makes circuits that include the fill face, stockpiles, and borrow sources in addition to roadways. The construction of over 10,000 lin. ft. of paved roadway along the west perimeter minimizes dust and provides access to the ancillary site activities (e.g., intermediate processing facility [IPF], tire baling, greenwaste). This permanent roadway system was planned to have utility for the entire 50-year life span of the landfill.

Litter Fencing. The location of the Cerro Colorado Landfill of the Rio Puerco highlands can produce a high number of windy days. Gusts in excess of 40 mph are not uncommon. A systematic blowing-debris-control program has been implemented. It includes a number of measures such as tarping requirements for all incoming vehicles, application of daily cover throughout the working day to minimize exposed refuse, permanent chainlink fencing along key perimeters, temporary litter fencing installed strategically downwind from active filling operations, and daily collection of litter from the fencing and along the 8-mi. access route.

Health and Safety Programs. Landfill staff are required to take extensive training as part of New Mexico’s mandatory Operator Certification Program. This training addresses such health and safety issues as hazardous materials handling and emergency response. In addition, a Behavioral Accident Prevention Process instituted by the SWMD in 1996 has reduced injuries by 40%. The landfill has been deemed a central artery for all SWMD field-services divisions. Landfill personnel are trained monthly on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulatory compliance guidelines, such as hazard communication, blood-borne pathogens, personal protective equipment, and site-specific departmental safety policies and procedures.

Waste Diversion

The original development of the Cerro Colorado Landfill in 1989 provided an opportunity for the city to evaluate all aspects of its waste management system. One objective was to maximize the use of expensive landfill airspace by diverting materials to markets or other beneficial uses. A series of programs was implemented to extract recyclables, greenwaste, tires, and so on from the flow of materials destined for disposal.

Curbside Recycling. The SWMD provides weekly collection of source separated materials to approximately 128,000 residential customers. Residents place cardboard, newspaper, No. 1 and No. 2 plastic, tin, glass, and aluminum in clear plastic bags at the curb. The material is then collected and hauled to the IPF for sorting.

Drop-Off Centers. Thirteen recyclable drop-off centers are located to provide recycling services to the multiple-family–dwelling segment. Approximately 200 tons per month are collected and sent to the IPF for processing.

Intermediate Processing Facility. The IPF, recipient of SWANA’s 1999 Silver Award for recycling facilities, processes both residential and commercial wastestreams. The facility is the first in the country to utilize a cardboard separator and a newsprint sorter in the same sorting line. The equipment was installed in the spring 1999 to increase efficiency, reduce labor costs, and reduce residuals. The facility processed more than 11,000 tons of material in 1999, which represents a 25% increase from 1998 flow rates.

Greenwaste. Three times per year, the SWMD provides curbside collection of yardwaste. These collections are performed to coincide with seasonal fluctuations. Greenwaste is separated at the city’s three convenience centers and hauled to the composting facility. The greenwaste is chipped, mixed with biosolids and other organic material waste, and composted for 15 days. In 1999, the city diverted approximately 10,500 tons of greenwaste from the landfill.

Convenience Centers. With the closure of the numerous small local landfills, distances for self-haul residents would increase by up to 25 mi. The city installed a network of convenience centers open 24 hours a day to provide a centralized collection point for source-separated recyclables. In addition, the convenience centers provide a centralized collection point for source-separated recyclables and are open 24 hours a day.

Into the Future

The Cerro Colorado Landfill is a model landfill facility that provides cost-effective disposal services for the Albuquerque Metropolitan area. The site’s master plan guarantees waste disposal capacity for more than 50 years. The SWMD leads the Southwest in arid research and development activities.

Bronze Award

Delaware Solid Waste Authority Central Solid Waste Management Center

Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s (DSWA) Central Solid Waste Management Center (CSWMC) is composed of six disposal areas, including Areas A through E and C/D Valley, a site developed by tying together liners of Areas C and D. Area E has approximately 2.5 million tons’ capacity already constructed and permitted. This is approximately 14 years of life at the current incoming rate. There are more than 35 years of capacity at the CSWMC using the land currently owned by the DSWA.

Environmental Monitoring and Control

Over the past 20 years, the DSWA has documented that there are certain field and indicator analytes in the CSWMC landfill leachates that are orders of magnitude greater in concentration than in surrounding groundwater and surface waters. With this in mind, the DSWA has set up a series of groundwater wells and surface-water monitoring points around the perimeter of the landfill cells. Samples from these monitoring points along with all leachate pump stations and secondary detection systems are tested for the most common indicator analytes found in the leachate on a consistent basis.

Groundwater Monitoring Network. There are 42 groundwater monitoring wells and 19 shallow piezometers used to monitor the major drinking-water aquifers below at the CSWMC. Twenty-eight of the CSWMC groundwater monitoring wells are constructed in clusters to monitor localized changes in groundwater quality and vertical gradients between the aquifers.

Groundwater Sample Collection. All groundwater monitoring wells at the CSWMC have been outfitted with a micropurge system designed by the DSWA to eliminate large purge pumps, cross-contamination, overpurging, volatile organic compound (VOC) stripping, and almost all decontamination steps. Inside each of the CSWMC well casings is a dedicated Teflon tube. The Teflon tube is secured to the side of the outer protective steel casing to prevent it from being lost inside the inner well casing.

Groundwater Monitoring Schedule and Analysis. The groundwater monitoring wells are monitored according to their depth and proximity to the landfill cells.

Surface-Water Monitoring. There are 10 surface-water points monitored on a quarterly basis at the CSWMC. A total of 568 tests are run annually on samples collected from surface-water monitoring locations at the CSWMC.

Leachate Monitoring. There are currently 10 discreet leachate monitoring points at the CSWMC. Semiannually, in April and October, samples of all leachate are tested for a suite of 168 VOCs; semi-VOCs; base- neutral-, and acid-extractable organic compounds; and heavy metals. This suite consists of USEPA’s Priority Pollutant Listing and any additional "incidental" analytes detected in any leachate tested from all DSWA facilities statewide

Secondary Detection Systems. Area D, the C/D Valley, and Area E all have a dual liner system. The flow of the detection systems for Areas D and E are monitored for quality and quantity of liquid collected.

Landfill Gas Collection/Monitoring

Recycling drop-off area.

Leachate storage tanks.

The facility system collects and destroys over 1.2 million ft.³ of LFG each day through the use of a candlestick flare. In addition, portable passive flares are used to control excess gas and odors around the landfill. Currently six passive flares are in operation at the CSWMC on Areas NB, C, and D.

Based on a proposal received from Zapco Development Corporation on January 20, 1999, the DSWA is negotiating a contract to use the gas on-site to generate 2 mW of power. When the contract is signed, Zapco will construct two 1-mW generators on-site and transmit the electricity off-site for sale.

Operations

The CSWMC is operated on a six-day-per-week basis during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Facility users are allowed to weigh in at the facility between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The landfill is closed Sundays and on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

The average daily tonnage of MSW received in the past year was approximately 400 tpd. The average number of vehicles transporting waste to the facility was 240 vehicles per day. All waste is weighed in and out on truck scales, and no tare weights are utilized in the operation of the facility. Cars and station wagons are only weighed in-bound and are charged a flat fee of $3.50. A computer program in the weigh station records weights and prints weigh tickets that act as both bills and receipts to collect the necessary fees. The tipping fee is $58.50/ton for the waste disposed, with a minimum charge of $3.50. Large commercial users and licensed haulers utilize charge accounts with the DSWA. Cash and checks are accepted for other loads and residential users.

Cover Operations. The primary source of daily cover utilized in the operation of the landfill is from an offsite borrow pit. The pit is located about 1 mi. from the DSWA property. ADCs have been used at the CSWMC for the past nine years. The CSWMC currently uses tarps on a portion of the workface, which will receive waste the next operating day. The approximate airspace saved by using tarps was 10,000 yd.³ in 1999.

Waste Compaction. The compactor operator runs the compactor over the waste with sufficient passes to achieve the maximum practical in-place density of the solid waste. A monthly topographic survey is performed to determine the volume of landfill space used.

Capping. The capping of the disposal areas is constructed on a "cap-as-you-go" basis, and includes a "final" stormwater collection system. The cap-as-you-go method is effective in reducing the overall amounts of leachate collected by the cell and reducing LFG gas odors.

Facility Monitoring and Alarm Systems. The DSWA utilizes an autodialer system located at three separate panels around the site to monitor all the critical facility operations. Once the alarm is triggered, the computer calls for staff attention. The systems also allows a status check of any of the channels monitored.

Waste Screening. During routine operations, waste screening is performed at various stages as the waste enters the CSWMC. In addition to routine gatekeeping screening, random waste inspections are conducted by compliance staff who are fully trained and equipped with test equipment to confirm suspicious and/or possibly hazardous waste loads.

Leachate Disposal and Recirculation. Leachate recirculation is one of the primary methods by which to accelerate the decomposition of the organic matter in waste. The DSWA has been recirculating leachate at the CSWMC since 1983.

Special Waste Policy. Waste such as sludge or industrial residues that might have special testing or handling requirements is subjected to testing to confirm that it is not hazardous and that it meets moisture-content or other handling requirements.

Site Safety. All operating personnel working at the CSWMC are provided with health and safety training, including that established by OSHA. Protective clothing and footgear are worn by all personnel when at the working areas of the landfill. Communication equipment is installed in all equipment and vehicles on-site and is maintained in the weigh station, maintenance building, and administrative building. More than 50 confined-space entry locations have been identified, mapped, and posted. Confined-space training is given to all designated operating personnel. First-aid kits are installed in each piece of equipment and each office.

Litter Control. A series of 6-ft.-tall fences is constructed near the working face and along the perimeter of the cell. Farther out, another 40-ft.-high litter control fence is permanently installed along the perimeter of the landfill. Additionally, the tree line and 8-ft.-perimeter chainlink fence serve as the final defense.

Operating Costs. The operating costs for the CSWMC have actually decreased over the last few years through cost-cutting initiatives by the DSWA. This has helped enable the DSWA to keep tipping fees at $58.50/ton for the past seven years.

Recycling

The CSWMC has a Recycle Delaware (RD) Center located before the weigh scales. The Recycle Delaware Program consists of containers set up for receipt of source-separated recyclable materials including newspapers; magazines; mixed paper; phone books; clear, green, and brown glass; motor oil; oil filters; plastic bottles; textiles; batteries; and corrugated cardboard.

There are more than 130 RD locations throughout the state. The containers are periodically emptied and the material transported to DSWA’s IPF in New Castle County, where it is further processed and marketed. The use of the CSWMC RD before the scale allows the facility user to recycle a portion of his load and reduce the amount going to the landfill (and reduce his ultimate cost at the facility).

End-Use Plan

The DSWA intends to utilize the site as a solid waste management facility in perpetuity. Several additional cells will be developed on the remaining land, providing more than 35 years of life for the landfill. In addition, the DSWA plans to mine Area NB in the future as mining becomes a viable alternative. Should this occur, the DSWA will reuse Area NB for "waste storage," thus providing a perpetual landfill. This effectively eliminates the need for future siting concerns, which continually plague the solid waste industry. The DSWA has performed full-scale tests of the recycling of a landfill in 1998. Approximately 17,000 tons of waste was excavated from the two 1-ac. tests cells. The material was hauled to the working face, where it was trommeled. The undersized fraction was used successfully as daily cover. The remaining oversized fraction was evaluated by handsorting. The DSWA believes that landfill mining will become an integral part of the operation at the CSWMC in the future. The DSWA has taken steps to make this process easier in the future. For example, the landfilling of any asbestos at the CSWMC was stopped in September 1996. This was done to reduce the potential of asbestos fibers getting into the atmosphere during future excavations and processing.

Bronze Award

Ventura Regional Sanitation District: Toland Road Landfill

Opened in 1970, Toland Road Landfill is a 161-ac. landfill with a 52-ac. access parcel located between the cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore in Ventura County, CA. The Ventura Regional Sanitation District (VRSD), an enterprise public agency providing integrated regional waste treatment and disposal services to county residents, manages the landfill. The district serves approximately 85% of the Ventura County, meeting the needs of 600,000 persons over 1,600 mi.² Customers enjoy state-of-the-art solid waste processing at the second-lowest published rates in the state - $19.06/ton - compared to the state average of $31.00/ton.

Toland entrance road.

Toland dozer.

The Toland Road Landfill is located in a confined, V-shaped box canyon 4 mi. east of Santa Paula and 4 mi. west of Fillmore. It is seated on 400-500 ft. of impermeable clay. Toland is open for direct haul to residents of the Santa Clara River Valley. The majority of all other loads is processed through a Ventura County transfer station or materials recycling facility and arrives at the site in large transfer trucks.

Only MSW is accepted at the landfill. Hazardous materials are not accepted at Toland. Specially trained employees are stationed on the working face during operating hours to inspect loads. In fact, all waste loads are subject to detailed inspection for hazardous materials. The landfill is restricted to 1,500 tpd by the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) issued by the County of Ventura.

Systems, Technology, and Performance

A state-of-the-art gas and leachate collections system was designed in-house and is the third such complete system designed and installed by VRSD employees. A tarping system is used to cover the working face at the end of the day, saving up to 30% of landfill airspace. Additionally, Toland’s effective use of ADC has minimized the amount of time and effort needed to excavate dirt on-site.

Toland’s employees follow a comprehensive litter abatement program involving litter-snagging, V-shaped fences, air dams sculpted into the refuse column, and even a litter collection crew at the working face. As this problem intensifies on windy days, Toland employees have developed Windy Day Closure Protocols.

VRSD’s laboratory offers a wide variety of analytical services for groundwater, surface water, soils, sludge, compost, and gas condensate. The lab has been certified by the State of California Department of Health Services’ Environmental Laboratory’s Accreditation Program and has a full-time laboratory staff. The lab can perform more than 60 different tests including physical, bacteriological, and chemical analyses of water and sludge.

VRSD has an established safety incentive award program that monetarily rewards employees who attend training and meet specified safety requirements.

A driver safety outreach program includes informative presentations to transfer station employees and drivers, city haulers, and other landfill customers, emphasizing safety issues, operation requirements, and truck safety measures.

The district encourages transfer-truck business by offering a lower rate to loads originating from transfer stations in the belief that the stations decrease traffic around the landfill. Encouraging transfer trucks has eliminated about 400 trucks per day, a significant traffic mitigation. Additionally, consolidated loads allow Toland employees to place trash more efficiently into the refuse column.

Proactive Community Relations, Public Education, Marketing, and Communications

VRSD’s Community Information Team has developed informative fact sheets outlining targeted practices and developed and distributed news releases detailing changes and improvements at the landfill. VRSD provides information to waste haulers on a quarterly basis, reminding them of Toland’s hours, restrictions, and special conditions. Landfill employees have conducted regular tours of the site for school children and public officials.

Because nothing beats personal contact for relationship building, district employees go out of their way to stay in touch with customers, community members, regulators, and elected officials. As public servants, Toland employees are sensitive to the need to be responsive to all stakeholders.

Toland employees meet regularly with customers (haulers and drivers) for technical advice on what is working and what is not.

The district’s neighbors are often its greatest critics, so it is important for them to understand the challenges employees face and help answer their concerns. VRSD’s mission statement, in fact, pledges to "provide solutions by involving our staff, our customers and our community."

District representatives meet regularly with elected officials including representatives from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and local city councils. VRSD’s Board of Directors is composed of agency city council members. Key meetings occur with regulators to discuss operations, concerns, and ideas for more effective procedures.

As with all public agencies, VRSD’s business takes place in a "fish bowl," with all operations, budgeting issues, and like decisions open to public view, comment, and criticism. This requires that Toland management always make community concerns a priority without allowing popular opinion to overshadow good landfill management practices or circumvent what is best for the larger community and environment. This is the tightrope all public landfill managers walk.

Toland employees have gone above and beyond the call of duty to respond to community concerns regarding landfill activity, often at great financial cost to the district. Toland Landfill abuts the cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore and the prime agricultural community that is the Santa Clara River Valley. The major concerns Toland’s neighbors convey relate to birds, dust, and litter. VRSD has consistently listened to customer concerns and developed and enhanced numerous programs to address community issues.

Dust Suppression Program

Dust is a problem for the citrus growers in the Santa Clara River Valley because of its impact on imported predacious insects and other aspects of orchard health. Because of these concerns, a comprehensive Dust Suppression Program was folded into Toland’s CUP. The program outlined 13 requirements to mitigate dust. Toland’s employees have gone ever further and established additional dust control procedures. The enhanced Toland Dust Suppression Program also includes the use of a nontoxic commercial suppressant to treat exposed areas of the landfill in addition to the requisite road-watering/vacuuming program. The district has stepped up endeavors to control dust at the landfill site, including the recent completion of a $260,000 road-paving project. Because of the road watering required by the CUP and regulators, mud is frequently a problem around the landfill face and on access roads. When the big trucks dump, they pick up the mud on their tires and carry it to other parts of the site where it dries and creates a dust problem. In an attempt to combat this vicious circle, employees have installed cattle-guard grates to knock mud off vehicles in the pit. Employees also sweep and vacuum the access roads at least three times a week. Additionally, VRSD engineers cleverly reconfigured the fill pattern to create trashwork berms to deflect airflow off the active landfill face and mitigate the development of dust clouds on windy days.

Onsite and Offsite Litter Control

The district is dedicated to litter control and has developed some innovative solutions to this problem, including V-shaped fences to capture rogue litter, a litter control team, and the construction of berms to disrupt the flow of wind and mitigate the problem. This element is especially critical on high-wind days to minimize the impact to Toland’s neighbors. The enhanced Litter Control Program represents a $10,000/yr. cost.

Bird Control Program

In an effort to ensure that birds naturally attracted to the landfill site do not impact neighboring farmers, the district has added a full-time monitor in addition to the unmanned propane cannon, scarecrows, and other mitigation measures. This results in an additional cost - about $71,000/yr.

Windy-Day Closures

The canyon wind is too strong sometimes. On these days, the landfill is closed and haulers are directed to other landfills. Of course this results in a loss of Toland revenue (nearly $24,000-30,000 per day at currently allowed tonnage). In response to community concerns, Toland Landfill has voluntarily closed 10 days during 1999 as a result of high winds. The closures came at an estimated cost of $300,000. Financial concerns are overshadowed by VRSD’s concern for environmental impact and the importance of being a good neighbor.

What’s in Store for 2001?

MSW Management applauds the fine work of staff, designers, builders, and suppliers at each of the medal-winning sites. Well done!

If you run a landfill and are proud of your site and your crew, but you haven’t entered SWANA’s 2001 Landfill Excellence Award competition, it’s not too late to enter, but you’ve got to get going to meet the March 15 deadline for submissions. For information, check out SWANA’s Web site at www.swana.org.

John Trotti is the editor of MSW Management.

MSW
Nov/Dec 2000