SCS professionals can identify the ETLF warning signs which usually occur in the collection data but can be difficult to diagnose, such as enhanced volumetric gas generation associated with reaction sites.
We hope you can join SCS Engineers and Dr. Craig Benson, who studies the phenomenon, to our free, non-commercial webinar entitled “Identifying and Managing Elevated Temperature Landfills.”
At this session, you’ll get an update on the knowns and unknowns of ETLF conditions.
Why every operator of a sizable landfill should look out for rising temperatures.
What to do should you see a problem, and
The focus of current research as more sites are under watch.
Our ETLF session is for landfill owners, operators, technicians, field personnel, engineers, and regulators interested in learning about the latest research and mitigation strategies from the foremost experts in the field.
We encourage audience engagement with our panelists. We provide the ability to ask questions anonymously. We respect and understand your time constraints; those unable to stay on the live session will automatically receive a link to a recording.
Register here to reserve your spot for Identifying and Managing Elevated Temperature Landfills
ETLF Field Tips:
SCS OM&M teams look for these signs in the field data collected:
The CH4/CO2 ratio is often a leading indicator
Temperatures increase – real-time data of a reaction
Gas generation volumes increase
Leachate and condensate quantities increase
Leachate and gas quality deteriorates
Settlement greatly increases but is a lagging indicator
ETLF Webinar Description: The generation of heat in a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill is normal as microorganisms break down waste; however, Elevated Temperature Landfills (ETLFs) exhibit temperatures above regulatory thresholds due to abnormal chemical reactions within the waste mass. These reactions can cause changes in landfill gas composition, create odors, cause rapid and severe waste settlement, and generate leachate seeps and outbreaks. All of these issues add expensive costs to managing the facility, and that’s where this team can help.
Please join SCS Engineers for our live ETLF webinar. We welcome Dr. Craig Benson, who studies the phenomenon, and our solid waste and field engineers, who bring their expertise for an engaging presentation. This ETLF session is suitable for landfill owners, operators, technicians, field personnel, engineers, and regulators interested in learning more and would like to engage with some of the foremost experts in the field.
LEARN MORE AND RSVP HERE FOR THE FREE ETLF WEBINAR
The large majority of landfills in the country show no signs of special conditions indicating too much heat. Under certain conditions, elevated temperatures may occur inside a landfill, and the excess heat changes the character of chemical reactions taking place in the landfill, such as the decomposition process of the organic matter. Read and follow SCS Advice from the Field blogs for landfill best management practices.
SCS Advice from the Field
Landfill operators have known about elevated temperature conditions in landfills for nearly a decade. Some operators have already incurred numerous expenses to control adverse environmental and operational issues at these landfills, and some operators have set aside large amounts of money in their books to address future liabilities associated with such landfills. Due to the complexities of controlling elevated temperature conditions and the compliance issues arising from such conditions, it can force operators to temporarily, or permanently close their landfills.
Can design address elevated temperature conditions?
The operators of larger landfills have been monitoring and analyzing data to identify triggering factors, while others continue controlling the environmental impacts. Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) initiated several research projects to identify the triggering factors with the excellent scientific work of highly qualified researchers. These are on-going projects.
In the meanwhile, operators of larger landfills are developing strategies, basing strategic-decisions on the data and conditions collected during operations over long periods. After analyses, they have the means to reduce the impacts by making changes in their operations and landfill designs. The most effective changes include eliminating certain waste types from the waste stream and improving the movement of liquid and gas through the waste column with new designs.
Are design innovations consistently implemented?
The pioneering designs feature preventative measures, intending to avert the formation of elevated temperature conditions in future disposal cells. Implementing these new design features requires careful consideration and functional analyses, as some of the recommendations can be costly, affecting the bottom line. The urgency in controlling compliance issues associated with elevated temperatures and the associated financial impacts of such conditions objectively prescribe that local managers work closely with their designers and field expertise to bring non-compliance issues under control.
Is this an executive risk management strategy?
Until the on-going research more clearly identifies the triggering factors and the means to prevent the development of elevated temperature conditions, it seems logical to invest in implementing preventative measures that are currently available. When more research results are accessible, then the local managers will be able to make decisions that are even more informed. Those wanting to address the likelihood of future liabilities proactively will need executive-level funding and superior technical support, all of which are possible.
Is there much sharing of newer designs and strategies within the solid waste industry?
Yes, there is a fair amount of collaboration among the technical community and within solid waste associations. Most operators share their preventative designs within the engineering community and help contribute to funded research. Their actions and results will help to strengthen an industry application until such time that research results and the means to prevent the development of elevated temperature conditions are well understood. We all know that progress in technology and science depends on sharing new knowledge.
Let’s continue with the combination of serious research, innovative designs, proactive operational changes, and sharing knowledge among our industry professionals that will lead to more precise solutions in the near future. Here are a few resources available now:
About the Author: Ali Khatami, Ph.D., PE, LEP, CGC, is a Project Director and a Vice President of SCS Engineers. He is also our National Expert for Elevated Temperature Landfills, plus Landfill Design and Construction Quality Assurance. He has nearly 40 years of research and professional experience in mechanical, structural, and civil engineering.
The industry is designing and building more substantive drainage features and larger collection systems from the bottom up, that maintain their integrity and increase performance over time, thus avoiding more costly problems in the future.
Waste360 spoke with three environmental engineers about what landfill operators should know about liquids’ behavior and what emerging design concepts help facilitate flow and circumvent problems such as elevated temperature landfills, seeps, and keep gas flowing.
The engineers cover adopting best practices and emerging design concepts to facilitate flow. They cover topics such as directing flow vertically to facilitate movement to the bottom of the landfill, drainage material, slope to the sump percentages, vertical stone columns, installing these systems at the bottom before cells are constructed, and increasing cell height to prevent the formation of perched zones.
Ali Khatami, one of the engineers interviewed, has developed standards for building tiered vertical gas wells that extend from the bottom all the way up. He frequently blogs about landfill design strategies that his clients are using with success. His blog is called SCS Advice from the Field. Dr. Khatami developed the concept of leachate toe drain systems to address problems tied to seeps below the final cover geomembrane. These seeps ultimately occur in one of two scenarios, each depending on how the cover is secured.
Landfill Gas Header: Location and BenefitsBy continuing to design gas header construction on landfill slopes, all of the components end up on the landfill slope as well. You can imagine what type of complications the landfill operator will face since all of these components are in areas vulnerable to erosion, settlement, future filling, or future construction. Additionally, any maintenance requiring digging and re-piping necessitates placing equipment on the landfill slope and disturbing the landfill slope surface for an extended period.
AIRSPACE, the Landfill Operators’ Golden EggAirspace is a golden egg, the equivalent to cash that a waste operating company will have overtime in its account. With each ton or cubic yard of waste received at the landfill, the non-monetary asset of airspace converts positively to the bottom line of the …
Gas Removal from Leachate Collection Pipe and Leachate SumpKeeping gas pressure low in and around the leachate collection pipe promotes the free flow of leachate through the geocomposite or granular medium drainage layer to the leachate collection pipe and improves leachate removal from the disposal cell. Using gas removal piping at leachate sumps is highly recommended for warm or elevated temperature landfills where efficient leachate removal from the leachate collection system is another means for controlling landfill temperatures.
Leachate Force Main Casing Pipe and Monitoring for LeaksLandfill operators may add a casing pipe to their leachate force main for additional environmental protection. Consequently, the leachate force main is entirely located inside a casing pipe where the leachate force main is below ground. In the event of a leak from the leachate force main, liquids stay inside the casing pipe preventing leakage …
Pressure Release System Near Bottom of LandfillsPressure Release System Near Bottom of Landfills – Essential Component for Proper Functioning of the Landfill Drainage Layer. Landfill designers are generally diligent in performing extensive leachate head analysis for the design of the geocomposite drainage layer above the bottom geomembrane barrier layer. They perform HELP model analyses considering numerous scenarios to satisfy all requirements …
Landfill Leachate Removal Pumps – Submersible vs. Self-Priming PumpsSelf-priming pumps can provide excellent performance in the design of a landfill leachate removal system. Landfill owners and operators prefer them to help control construction and maintenance costs too. A typical system for removing leachate from landfill disposal cells is to have a collection point (sump) inside …
