The EPA generally relies on the states to enforce their own operating
permits and
federal laws. If state agencies are not aggressive, violations can worsen, multiplying negative environmental impacts exponentially. There are some notably recorded violations in the U.S. such as for a landfill in
Hawaii that was fined $2.8 million in 2006 for operating violations, but this is not common. Modern landfills are specifically designed to protect human health and the environment by controlling water and air emissions. In addition, states must have the power to issue permits and perform compliance monitoring and enforcement actions that ensure compliance with the federal standards. Landfill Management Division provide training and technical advice related to the planning, design, construction, closure and post-closure of today's landfills. Waste Management, based in
Houston, Texas, manages/operates five of the top 10 largest landfills and owns three of those outright. [Forbes]
Leachate collection Landfill leachate is generated from liquids existing in the waste as it enters a landfill or from
rainwater that passes through the waste within the facility. The leachate consists of different
organic and
inorganic compounds that may be either dissolved or suspended. An important part of maintaining a landfill is managing the leachate through proper treatment methods designed to prevent
pollution into surrounding ground and surface waters. For landfills receiving hazardous waste, permits require landfill liners and the installation of systems for collecting leachate. • Leachate collection layer - a layer of sand or gravel or a thick plastic mesh called a geonet collects leachate and allows it to drain by gravity to the leachate collection pipe system. The exceptions to this requirement are small landfills that receive less than 20 tons of solid waste per day, and facilities that can demonstrate that there is no potential for the migration of hazardous constituents from the unit into the groundwater. In the U.S., the number of landfill gas projects increased from 399 in 2005, to 594 in 2012 according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. These projects are popular because they control energy costs and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. These projects collect the methane gas and treat it, so it can be used for electricity or upgraded to pipeline-grade gas. (Methane gas has twenty-one times the
global warming potential of carbon dioxide). For example, in the U.S.,
Waste Management uses landfill gas as an energy source at 110 landfill gas-to-energy facilities. This energy production offsets almost two million tons of coal per year, creating energy equivalent to that needed by four hundred thousand homes. These projects also reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The EPA, which estimates that hundreds of landfills could support gas to energy projects, has also established the Landfill Methane Outreach Program. This program was developed to reduce methane emissions from landfills in a cost-effective manner by encouraging the development of environmentally and economically beneficial landfill gas-to-energy projects.
Post-closure and reclamation In the U.S., the regulatory structure for landfills specifies a 30-year post-closure monitoring period. It is presumed that at the end of the 30-year period, the landfill will be stable and will no longer require intensive monitoring. Creating habitats using native species can be complicated by many environmental factors, but using experimental plantings can be beneficial to the beginning stages of restoration. The Fresh Kills Landfill is an example of an urban
landfill restoration that turned parts of the world's largest landfill into an
urban green space. Despite changing environmental conditions due to
climate change, habitat restorations of landfills have proven to be effective examples of
biodiversity preservation. Closed landfills become ideal places for grassland restoration because their caps allow grasses to flourish on the flat, open field that was once the landfill. A mix of native species and new "invasive" species increased the overall diversity of plants in the area contributing more herbs and woody-stemmed species. At the landfill in the Czech Republic, the number of species increased from 94 to 195 in the 8 year study period. == Statistics ==