MSW Management | Editorial

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Landfill Manager's Notebook

By Neal Bolton

Neal Bolton

We need the rain, we sure do. We just seeded that outside slope, and it needs moisture. But just a sprinkle at first ... and if it could just hold off a little while until we button up that next lift. Then I’d say, “Let it pour. Well, for a day or so anyway, as long as it dries up before we run out of cover soil.”

And people like to make fun of farmers and their preoccupation with the weather!

Whether you’re waiting for rain or waiting for it to quit, one thing’s for certain: If you work at a landfill, you have an opinion.

Here’s another one. Most of the problems associated with wet weather—flooding, erosion, stuck vehicles, and the like—are not really problems: They are symptoms. The real problem was one of poor planning and preparation.


	Table 1

Planning for wet weather is a year-round job, culminating just prior to the onset of the rainy season.

For many landfills, this information is coming a little too late. It’s been raining and at this point, it doesn’t matter what we call them, they sure look like problems.

But on the upside, the issue of wet weather now at least has our attention. And, in terms of the planning process, it’s a great time to start planning … for next year. As you slosh your way through this rainy season, take a few minutes here and there to note problematic areas.

Here’s a tip. Using a copy of your landfill’s most recent topographic map, mark the location of all areas needing work before next year’s rainy season. These include the obvious areas of ponding and erosion. Also be sure to include all-weather access to any pumps, monitoring points, or methane extraction wells. This is your wet-weather wish list, so don’t hold back. Later on, your budget or labor resources may limit what you can accomplish, but it’s better to decide not to do something, rather than forget to do it.

As you mark up the topographic map, create a companion list of action items.

I’ve found it useful to build a table like the one shown here, where I list the task, a description, and the resources required. These items can be numbered to correspond to numbers on the topographic map, or you can just describe the location in Table 1.

Planning for the rainy season is always a year-round job.

If you are a good delegator—and if you’ve survived as a manager, you must be—get your crew involved in this process. They’re out there every day and may see things you don’t. It’s vital that they contribute to this process, not only for what they can offer but in order to help them develop by sharing some responsibility.

Once you create a list, hang it on the wall where it can be reviewed by everyone and updated as needed.

If you want to take this to the next level, estimate the duration of each task, add them up, and you’ll have a good idea of how much effort it will take for next year’s wet-weather preparation. It’s not unusual to make a list and think nothing of it, but then assign task durations and find that the list represents months of work.

If you find yourself bogged down in wet-weather problems, take the necessary steps now to plan and prepare, so you won’t be in the same place next year.

Consultant Neal Bolton specializes in landfill operations and management.

MSW - March 2008