Guidance for Leachate Recirculation at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
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Guidance for Leachate Recirculation at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Waste/Solid Waste #5.08 • June 2009 Introduction leachate generation, and thus, potential groundwater quality impacts. This Guidance has been developed to meet three goals: Of the waste in landfills at Minnesota Contents MSWLFs in 2006, approximately 77 1. Provide municipal solid waste percent went to facilities that currently Introduction ............... 1 landfill (MSWLF) owners with the have active gas collection systems History ....................... 1 minimum standards to implement Benefits ..................... 2 (Burnsville, Clay, Crow Wing, East Goals......................... 2 leachate recirculation as a tool in Central, Elk River, Pine Bend, and Spruce Design ....................... 3 managing leachate on-site and Ridge). Also in 2006, 43 percent of the Operation .................. 4 minimizing the long-term impact of waste stream went to facilities that Landfill gas the disposed waste to human health recirculate their leachate (Crow Wing, East management ............. 5 and the environment. Monitoring ................. 5 Central, Elk River, Lyon, Morrison, and Physical monitoring 2. Encourage the control of greenhouse Spruce Ridge). parameters ................ 6 Leachate monitoring gas (GHG) emissions at MSWLFs. parameters ................ 6 3. Encourage the production of energy Gas monitoring parameters ................ 7 from landfill gas as an alternative Reporting................... 8 renewable energy source. Closure...................... 9 Long-term care.......... 9 It is the intention of the Minnesota Contact information ... 9 Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to approve leachate recirculation through permit reissuance or major permit modification at MSWLFs that meet the minimum guidelines outlined herein. This guidance supersedes any previous policy or guidance on leachate recirculation. Current MSWLF design and operation does not promote the degradation of History disposed organic wastes within a In 2006, almost 1.5 million tons of waste reasonable timeframe. Non-degraded waste generated in Minnesota was landfilled at 21 can potentially cause future environmental permitted MSWLFs within the state. These and/or economic impacts if the leachate 21 landfills were developed in accordance and landfill gas (LFG) control systems fail. with Minnesota’s solid waste management The costs of these impacts would be borne rules and play a necessary role in the by future generations. The MPCA believes integrated waste hierarchy. The rules, that MSWLF design and operation promulgated in 1988, are based on the practices should enhance organic waste concept of “dry entombment”, minimizing degradation, limit dependence on off-site the contact of the waste with precipitation. facilities for leachate treatment and This concept was intended to reduce disposal, provide a renewable “green” w-sw5-08 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency • 520 Lafayette Rd. N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194 • www.pca.state.mn.us 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • TTY 651-282-5332 or 800-657-3864 • Available in alternative formats energy source, and promote stabilization of landfills. At the request of the Governor and the Minnesota Leachate recirculation is one tool to achieve these Legislature, the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory objectives. Group published a Climate Mitigation Action Plan in April 2008 that contained many recommendations to Benefits state agencies and the Legislature. Highlighted in its policy document on the Agriculture, Forestry, and Waste The MPCA identified leachate recirculation as an Sector is the importance of capturing and burning alternative leachate management option in 1991 methane that would otherwise escape from landfills and, (Leachate Disposal and Treatment Options, March 1991) where practical, to use the landfill gas as a substitute for and further promoted leachate recirculation in fossil fuel. The MPCA believes that a well-run leachate Environmental Policy No. 4: Alternative Leachate recirculation system can result in effective gas Management, April 9, 2001. Under Environmental management which in turn can promote renewable Policy No. 4, six landfills have implemented energy from landfill gas. demonstration or pilot projects on a site-specific basis. Most have experienced the following benefits: In the short-term, the MPCA will be phasing out the existing pilot projects. Each landfill in the pilot project • leachate treatment within the waste will be requested to provide any remaining data gaps. • increased LFG generation rate, augmenting energy Pilot studies will need to be terminated before a landfill recovery potential may be authorized for long-term leachate recirculation. Landfills currently participating in pilot studies, as well • increased waste settlement, leading to recoverable as other MSWLFs wishing to recirculate leachate long- and ultimately more efficient use of landfill term, shall demonstrate compliance with this Guidance. airspace In addition to the benefits of on-site management of • accelerated waste degradation as evidenced leachate identified above, the MPCA believes that, on a by improved leachate quality and reduced organic long-term basis, MSWLFs may benefit from leachate fraction in waste samples recirculation and has identified the following goals that • avoidance of leachate transport to distant Publicly leachate recirculation may help MSWLFs achieve: Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) • Use leachate to assist in breaking down, or The MPCA recognizes the advantage of providing on- perpetually confining toxic materials within site treatment of leachate and reducing MSWLFs the permitted facility boundary. dependence on POTWs. In addition, the potential benefit • of generating, capturing, and utilizing landfill gas from Maximize the functional capacity of the permitted facilities that recirculate leachate may help the state airspace for waste disposal. achieve its goals of increasing the production of • Manage waste so that the organics are broken renewable energy and reduce the intensity of greenhouse down within the revenue life of the landfill. gas emissions. • Control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at or Goals below current emission levels, where practical. The MPCA’s 2008 Strategic Plan includes the following • Achieve efficient capture of gas for beneficial goals: use or energy production from landfilled waste, • Goal A3b) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions where practical. in Minnesota by 15 percent from 2005 levels by The MPCA will evaluate this Guidance with respect to January 1, 2015, and by 30 percent by January 1, the goals in the Strategic Plan every five years. This 2025, as set in the Next Generation Energy Act of Guidance may be modified in the future if necessary to 2007. achieve the State’s goals. • Goal L1a) By January 1, 2025, achieve a total reduction of 75 million metric tons of greenhouse Potential concerns of leachate recirculation that have gas attributed to changes in waste generation, occurred and has been identified in the literature, shall materials conservation, and resource management be addressed and monitored through the standards that practices. follow. Guidance for Leachate Recirculation at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills • w-sw5-08 • June 2009 Page 2 A permittee wishing to implement recirculation shall • All distribution techniques shall be designed submit a plan that details how the design, operation, to accommodate the expected waste settlement. monitoring, and reporting will be performed. The • Systems shall be designed to operate in all weather following guidance should be considered as the conditions when leachate minimum standards for leachate recirculation at landfills recirculation will take place. in Minnesota. • The permittee shall propose the method and Design location of leachate head monitoring for MPCA review. MPCA staff shall review the design of proposed long- • A minimum of 20 feet of waste is recommended term leachate recirculation systems to ensure that they over new areas before the installation of leachate meet the following minimum requirements: recirculation systems; this may be adjusted based • Only leachate and LFG condensate generated from on site-specific conditions. the landfill may be recirculated. • Alternate temporary caps may be proposed to • Leachate recirculation can only occur over a liner enhance LFG collection and reduce emissions and leachate collection systems that meet the rule while allowing waste to settle. The temporary cap requirements of Minn. R. 7035.2815, subp. 7(E) shall be designed to prevent threats to human that includes a composite liner system health and the environment. incorporating a geomembrane. An alternate liner • Permeable caps may be considered provided they system may be proposed pursuant to Minn. R. demonstrate effectiveness in reducing GHG 7035.2815, subp. 7(K). emissions, and allowing LFG collection if an • The permittee shall demonstrate using the active gas system is in place while allowing the HELP model or other MPCA approved method infiltration of precipitation. that leachate head is maintained below 12 inches • The facility shall be permitted for the maximum once leachate recirculation is initiated. fill grade expected during operations. All design • Due to the potential for leachate seeps, distribution and stability calculations shall be based on the systems shall not be installed maximum fill grade and be consistent with other within 50 linear feet of exterior side slopes. MPCA rules and policies (e.g. Landfill Slope Guidance,