LFTGN07 Guidance on Monitoring Landfill Gas Surface Emissions
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Guidance on monitoring landfill gas surface emissions LFTGN07 v2 2010 LFTGN 07 [Sector Code] We are the Environment Agency. It's our job to look after your environment and make it a better place - for you, and for future generations. Your environment is the air you breathe, the water you drink and the ground you walk on. Working with business, Government and society as a whole, we are making your environment cleaner and healthier. The Environment Agency. Out there, making your environment a better place. Published by: Environment Agency Rio House Waterside Drive, Aztec West Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4UD Tel: 0870 8506506 Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk © Environment Agency 2010 All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Environment Agency Guidance on monitoring landfill gas surface emissions 1 Foreword Environment Agency’s Project Team: The following were involved in the production of this guidance: Rob Marshall Head Office (Project Manager) David Browell Head Office Steven Smith Head Office This second edition of LFTGN07 was the result of a collaborative review involving the Environment Agency, SEPA and representatives of the landfill gas industry forming a sub-group of the Environment Agency and Environmental Services Association Landfill Regulation Group. The authors would like to thank all parties who contributed to this review. This guidance is one of a series of documents relating to the management of landfill gas. It is intended for use in the assessment of methane emissions from the surface of permitted landfill sites in England and Wales. It is issued by the Environment Agency as best practice guidance and will be used in regulation of landfills. This guidance is intended for Environment Agency officers to use in regulatory and enforcement activities. It will also be of use to the waste industry and contractors, consultants and local authorities concerned with landfill gas emissions. Any exemption from any of the requirements from other legislation is not implied. 2 Environment Agency Guidance on monitoring landfill gas surface emissions Contents PUBLISHED BY:.........................................................................................................................................0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................5 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................8 1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS TECHNICAL GUIDANCE............................................................................................................ 8 1.2 STRUCTURE OF THIS GUIDANCE ........................................................................................................................ 8 2 BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................................................9 2.1 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................................. 9 2.2 EMISSION OF GAS THROUGH THE LANDFILL SURFACE ............................................................................................ 9 2.3 SURFACE FLUX MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 ZONES AND FEATURES.................................................................................................................................. 11 2.5 EMISSION STANDARDS ................................................................................................................................. 11 2.6 WALKOVER SURVEYS AND REMEDYING FAULTS.................................................................................................. 12 2.7 EMISSION ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES.............................................................................................................. 12 2.8 HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES .......................................................................................................................... 13 3 DESK STUDY ........................................................................................................................................15 3.1 RELEVANCE................................................................................................................................................ 15 3.2 SITE CHARACTERISTICS ................................................................................................................................. 15 3.3 SITE PLAN AND DRAWINGS............................................................................................................................ 15 4 WALKOVER SURVEY AND REMEDIATION..............................................................................................17 4.1 INITIAL WALK OVER SURVEY........................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 PRE‐VISIT CHECKS ....................................................................................................................................... 17 4.3 SITE WALKOVER SURVEY ............................................................................................................................... 17 4.4 SURFACE SCANNING .................................................................................................................................... 19 4.5 ACTION ON GAS MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.6 COMPLETION OF THE INITIAL SURVEY STAGE ..................................................................................................... 20 4.7 INTERMEDIATE WALKOVER SURVEYS .............................................................................................................. 21 5 DESIGN OF FLUX BOX SURVEYS............................................................................................................22 5.1 SURVEY APPROACH ..................................................................................................................................... 22 5.2 SELECTION OF SURVEY ZONES ........................................................................................................................ 22 5.3 TYPICAL ZONES AND FEATURES ...................................................................................................................... 23 5.4 ANNOTATION OF SITE PLAN TO INDICATE ZONES AND FEATURES............................................................................ 25 5.5 NUMBER OF MONITORING LOCATIONS ............................................................................................................ 25 5.6 METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS ......................................................................................................................... 26 5.7 CONTROL STATION ...................................................................................................................................... 26 5.8 TEMPORAL FREQUENCY................................................................................................................................27 6 MEASURING EMISSIONS USING A FLUX BOX ........................................................................................29 6.1 RANGE OF APPLICATION ............................................................................................................................... 29 6.2 FLUX BOX METHOD FOR CAPPED ZONES ........................................................................................................... 29 7 DATA PROCESSING ..............................................................................................................................35 7.1 FLUX MEASUREMENT................................................................................................................................... 35 7.2 CALCULATING FLUX IN INDIVIDUAL FLUX BOXES ................................................................................................. 35 7.3 QUANTIFICATION OF FLUX FROM ZONES AND DISCRETE FEATURES......................................................................... 37 7.4 CALCULATION OF EMISSIONS FROM OVERALL SITE.............................................................................................. 38 7.5 POTENTIAL SOURCES OF ERROR OR UNCERTAINTY .............................................................................................. 39 8 ASSESSING EMISSIONS ........................................................................................................................40 8.1 ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE............................................................................................................................. 40 Environment Agency Guidance on monitoring landfill gas surface emissions 3 8.2 ASSESSING COMPLIANCE WITH EMISSION STANDARDS ........................................................................................ 40 8.4 REMEDIAL ACTION PLANS ............................................................................................................................. 43 8.5 TIMESCALE FOR REMEDIATION......................................................................................................................