Environmental management of landfill facilities

1 Environment Protection Authority South Australia Environmental management of landfill facilities Solid waste disposal Environmental management of landfill facilities solid waste disposal This guideline supersedes and replaces the Environmental management of landfill facilities (municipal solid waste and commercial and industrial waste) [EPA 2007]. Any reference to the 2007 guidelines in any statutory instrument or other publication should now be read as a reference to the Environmental management of landfill facilities solid waste disposal (EPA 2019). For further information please contact: Information Officer Environment Protection Authority GPO Box 2607 Adelaide SA 5001 Telephone: (08) 8204 2004 Facsimile: (08) 8124 4670 Free call (country): 1800 623 445 Website: Email: ISBN 978-1-921125-34-8 Issued December 2007 Updated April 2019 Disclaimer This publication is a guide only and does not necessarily provide adequate information in relation to every situation.

2 This publication seeks to explain your possible obligations in a helpful and accessible way. In doing so, however, some detail may not be captured. It is important, therefore, that you seek information from the EPA itself regarding your possible obligations and, where appropriate, that you seek your own legal advice. Environment Protection Authority This document may be reproduced in whole or part for the purpose of study or training, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source and to it not being used for commercial purposes or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those given above requires the prior written permission of the Environment Protection Authority. Contents Abbreviations.

3 1 1 Purpose ..4 How the EPA will use this Regulatory and technical basis for this Implementation ..5 2 Regulatory Environmental assessment for landfill 3 Containment and control of emissions (including liner, leachate collection and capping) ..14 Base and side liner ..15 Leachate collection Capping ..18 Design of containment Construction quality assurance (CQA) 4 management , monitoring and treatment of emissions ..24 landfill Leachate storage and Surface 5 landfill Waste disposal and Onsite resource recovery Covering of waste (daily and interim cover)..35 landfill environment management 6 Closure and post Suggested measures for closure plans ..40 Certified statement of completion ..41 7 Appendix 1 landfill Appendix 2 Minimum requirements for compacted clay liners.

4 48 Consideration related to clay liners ..48 Design considerations ..48 Material Construction Appendix 3 Minimum requirements for geosynthetic materials in liners ..51 General considerations related to geosynthetic General design General construction considerations ..52 General durability General minimum requirements for design ..53 Minimum requirements for geomembrane ..54 Minimum requirements for GCL ..60 Minimum requirements for protection layers ..63 Minimum requirements for separation Minimum requirements for drainage geocomposite ..66 Geosynthetic construction quality assurance ..68 Appendix 4 Minimum requirements for leachate collection and disposal system ..73 Minimum requirements for Leachate Collection Systems.

5 73 Drainage layer material properties ..73 Leachate collection pipework Design considerations leachate collection Design leachate quantities ..74 Leachate collection system installation ..75 Minimum requirements for leachate ponds ..75 Leachate pond design Leachate pond Appendix 5 Minimum requirements for capping Minimum requirements for capping systems that include a compacted clay layer and overlying protection Minimum requirements for capping systems that include a geosynthetic barrier layer ..79 Minimum requirements for alternative capping systems ..79 Appendix 6 Minimum construction quality assurance CQA Roles, responsibilities and communication lines ..81 Documentation ..81 EPA Set-out and survey control ..82 Prequalification of materials ..82 Subgrade preparation and clay liner construction ..82 Geosynthetic Leachate collection system and sump.

6 83 Variations ..84 CQA report ..85 Appendix 7 Suggested parameters for leachate, surface water, groundwater and landfill gas monitoring at landfill facilities ..87 List of tables Table 1 Potential landfill gas treatment technologies ..25 Table 2 IQA testing requirements for HDPE Table 3 IQA testing requirements for LLDPE geomembranes ..55 Table 4 IQA weld testing for HDPE and LLDPE Table 5 Minimum requirements for geosynthetic clay liner (GCL)..60 Table 6 IQA testing requirements for geosynthetic clay Table 7 IQA testing requirements for Table 8 Maximum allowable strains for various geomembrane Table 9 IQA testing requirements for separation Table 10 IQA testing requirements for geonet drainage Table 11 Minor and major variation criteria ..84 Table 12 Indicator parameters for leachate monitoring.

7 87 Table 13 Indicator parameters for surface water monitoring ..88 Table 14 Indicator parameters for groundwater Table 15 landfill gas threshold levels for further Abbreviations APVMA Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority AWWA Americal Water Works Association CQA Construction Quality Assurance CSM Conceptual Site Model DEW Department of Environment and Water EIS Environment Impact Statement EMS Environmental management System EP Act Environment Protection Act 1993 EPA South Australian Environment Protection Authority EPP Environment Protection Policy GCL Geosynthetic Clay Liners GITA Geotechnical Inspection Testing Authority IQA Independent Quality Assurance ISO International Standards Organization LEMP landfill Environment management Plan LFG landfill Gas MQA Manufacturing Quality

8 Assurance MRRF Materials Resource Recovery Facility NATA National Association of Testing Authorities QA Quality Assurance PIRSA Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia Interpretation Definitions included in this document are defined in existing EPA legislation and guidance material which should be referred to for interpretation, in particular: Waste definitions (2019) Part 1 of the Environment Protection Act Environmental management of landfill facilities solid waste disposal 1 Introduction This guideline supersedes and replaces the Environmental management of landfill facilities (municipal solid waste and commercial and industrial waste) [EPA 2007]. Any reference to the 2007 Guidelines in any statutory instrument or other publication should now be read as a reference to the Environmental management of landfill facilities solid waste disposal (EPA 2019).

9 Poor Environmental practices have universally led to a degradation of the world s water, air and land resources. National and international environment protection authorities are continually refining policies, regulation, practices and procedures with the aim of minimising the risk of Environmental harm as part of transitioning to a sustainable future. landfill has an important role to play as part of the transition required to achieve sustainable resource recovery and waste management . The role for landfill primarily involves accepting those wastes that are unable to be avoided, reduced, reused, recycled or recovered . It is vital that a precautionary approach be adopted to adequately address the Environmental risks of landfill facilities , recognising that residual waste composition has changed, and will continue to change over time in response to technological advances in recovery activities.

10 Development and operation of landfill facilities in South Australia are activities of Environmental significance that require development approval under the Development Act 1993 and an Environmental authorisation in the form of a licence, as specified in section 36 of the Environment Protection Act 1993 (EP Act). This document is intended to provide guidance to landfill operators, developers, planning authorities and regulatory bodies on the site selection, development, design, construction, operation, closure and post-closure management of solid waste landfill facilities which comply with the EP Act. landfill design comprises the following interconnected elements that are further explained in this guideline, together with operational requirements: liner system at the base and side of the landfill leachate collection system cover system gas collection system Environmental monitoring system post-closure plan for maintenance and utilisation of the landfill after its second edition of the guideline has been restructured to reflect each of the design and construction elements as an integrated system, together with regulatory and operational controls.