Neal Bolton

By Neal Bolton

Running a landfill is in many ways similar to running a political campaign. Hold on, I’m not slinging mud …or anything else. What I’m saying is that in the landfill business, as in politics, there are two important elements to success. The first is to be doing something good that benefits society. The second is to appear to be doing something good that benefits society.

Do either one without the other and you’ve got problems.

PHOTO: Dust & Odor Control Technology

Today’s modern solid waste landfills go to great effort and expense to protect us and our environment by constructing liners, caps, and a variety of systems to collect leachate, extract gas, and monitor air and water. These things fall into the “doing good” category. And in most cases, landfills are in fact doing good.

Unfortunately, many of the landfills that are doing good don’t get credit for it because their appearance doesn’t reflect what they’re doing.

Why do some landfills run like a clock and look like a dump? In many cases it is because they simply haven’t placed a high enough priority on their image. Let’s look at a couple of common areas where landfills could improve their image—birds and odor.

Birds
Birds are a common problem at most landfills. But in most cases, the only problem is that there are birds at the landfill. Do you get it? No, it doesn’t have to make sense. Typically, unless there is a nearby airport—in which case they could pose a hazard to aircraft—the only problem posed by birds at a landfill is one of aesthetics.

But real or perceived, a problem is a problem and birds are one. There is no single best way to discourage birds from visiting your landfill. The birds are there because they are hungry, and as long as landfills provide the potential for a meal, birds will be attracted.

The landfills with the most success at discouraging birds have learned to be creative. This often means using a variety of bird control methods. Here’s a rundown on some ways that landfills are successfully keeping the birds away.

PHOTO: Bird-X Inc.

Daily Cover
One of the simplest and most effective ways of discouraging birds is to place daily cover on waste as soon as possible. Remember, the birds are there for the food. Reduce the food source and you’ll reduce the number of birds.

Noisemakers
Firecrackers, whistlers, propane cannons, and other types of noisemakers will temporarily get the birds up and away. However, diligence is required in order to make this method work.

Depredation Permits
Yes, as unpleasant as this may sound to some folks, obtaining a permit to periodically shoot a bird is, as you might expect, an effective deterrent.

Monofilament Lines
Some landfills stretch heavy monofilament line (fishing line) between tall poles to form a shield above the landfill. Birds will eventually get used to this type of system. Adding or periodically moving the lines can improve the effectiveness of this method.

Predator Decoys
Predator decoys can be an effective way to scare away birds. However, it’s important to regularly move and clean the decoys.

Model Airplanes
Model airplanes have been found to be a very effective bird deterrent. Some model airplanes are even designed to look like a falcon or hawk.

Falcons
While predator decoys and model airplanes are effective, there still, “ain’t nothing like the real thing.” With this in mind, more and more landfills are hiring falconers (and of course their falcons) to scare away nuisance birds. Apparently, seagulls and other nuisance birds quickly lose interest in finding a meal when they realize that they could become the meal.

Typically, the most effective way to control birds is to cover the waste promptly and keep changing tactics … from noisemakers to monofilament lines … from predator decoys to falcons. Generally, the landfills that are most successful at discouraging birds keep the birds guessing.

Odor
Once, when trying to understand the complexities of the legal system, an attorney suggested I apply the skunk test. If something looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk, it’s probably a skunk. By applying this same method, if your landfill looks like a dump and smells like a dump, someone might determine that it’s a dump. Here we are back at the perception thing again.

Odor control is an important aspect of operating a sanitary landfill. And, while every landfill can (and probably does) have some odor, there are ways to minimize it.

Out of Sight
Out of sight is often out of mind … and out of smell. Many landfills have had the experience of receiving odor complaints from southern neighbors, when the wind has blown to the north all day long. For many people it’s a simple connection to smell something offensive, see a landfill, and connect the two. In some cases, odor complaints have gone away simply by keeping the landfill out of sight by constructing a soil berm, planting a line of trees, or changing the filling sequence.

If screening the landfill doesn’t eliminate the odor complaints, then perhaps there truly is an odor problem. Let’s look at some basic steps for dealing with offensive odors.

First, identify the source of the problem. Once identified, many odor problems are easily solved. Common problems include

Uncovered Waste
Waste that is not covered promptly (or at all) can create an odor problem. The solution is simply to do a better job of covering. In some cases, certain types of alternative daily cover (ADC) will be more effective at controlling odors than others. You may want to experiment with various types of ADC to find the one that works best for your landfill. Minimizing the size of the landfill’s working face can also help to minimize odors.

Landfill Gas
Decomposing waste creates lots of methane and carbon dioxide, both of which are odorless. However, landfill gas may also include constituents that smell bad.

Leachate Seeps
Leachate seeps are a common source of odor. They are often more evident during the wet season or just following snowmelt. Leachate seeps can be prevented by stripping the underlying cover soil before placing each day’s cell. Once a seep occurs it can be repaired by digging through the underlying cover layer and refilling it with gravel.

Leachate Storage Ponds
The odor from leachate storage ponds can sometimes be minimized by treating the leachate with specific chemicals.

PHOTO: Dust & Odor Control Technology

Offensive Loads
Offensive loads may include sewage sludge, dead animals, or other bad-smelling materials. These materials should be buried and covered with soil or ADC as soon as possible. Many landfills require prior notice or limit offensive loads to certain times when the odor will be less likely to offend neighbors.

Green Waste or Compost Operation
Green waste grinding or composting operations can create significant odor. Schedule these tasks during times when they are least likely to offend neighbors.

By understanding when odor complaints are coming and from where, landfill managers can work to minimize the impact. For example, complaints from residential areas often occur during weekends. This is when residents are at home and more likely to be out in their yards.

Also, landfills that receive waste from transfer stations often deal with weekend odors in some cases because transfer stations will clean out (right down to the floor) on weekends. This garbage is typically the wettest and most offensive.

Commercial neighbors (i.e., offices) may be more sensitive to odors during weekdays. In some cases, complaints will occur during lunch break when office workers walk outside to eat or drive to lunch.

Often, once the sources and times of the complaints have been identified, finding a solution becomes easier.

If you’ve done all you can but still have odor problems, consider using one of the many products that can mask or neutralize the odor. These are most often dispensed from misters set up along the windward side of the landfill. If the odor source or winds change frequently, consider a mobile mister. This is simply a sprayer-mounted vehicle (pickup or tractor) that can drive to various locations onsite as needed to control odor.

Competent landfill managers must be aware of the image that their facility portrays. Take steps to deal with birds and odors so that your properly designed and well-run landfill also looks like a first-class operation.

Neal Bolton is a consultant specializing in landfill operations and management. He is principal of Blue Ridge Services in Atascadero, CA.

MSW - July/August 2005