2000 Annual Report: Permitting and Operations

Permitting and Operations Topics

Introduction Regulatory Framework Enforcement Agencies Permitting Operations and Enforcement Closure and Postclosure for Landfills Closed, Illegal and Abandoned Waste Disposal Sites New Initiatives Research and Development

New Initiatives

Operator Training and Certification
As the business of solid waste management becomes more complex and the regulation of solid waste landfills becomes more stringent, it is important that landfill operators and regulators keep up-to-date on current requirements and best practices. With the ultimate aim of protecting public health and safety and enhancing environmental quality, the IWMB is developing a landfill operations training/certification program to improve facility management.

The objective of this program is to provide consistency in how landfills are operated and inspected, to ensure regulatory compliance, and to maximize available landfill airspace. The IWMB will initially be implementing this program on a voluntary basis, with a longer-term goal of requiring landfill operators and inspectors to attend training and become certified. The program is being developed on two tracks:

The first track is working with the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) to incorporate California-specific requirements into their courses. Over the last two years staff has presented material at three SWANA courses entitled Manager of Landfill Operations (MOLO). At the two courses conducted this year, a voluntary California-specific examination was administered to evaluate the effectiveness of our presentation. The IWMB entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with SWANA, providing for the development and implementation of a California-specific training curriculum for operators and inspectors of solid waste landfills. This initiative is intended to increase the competency and efficiency of solid waste landfill operations throughout the state and is part of a four-year voluntary training and certification program adopted by the IWMB last year.

The second track is to develop and conduct a series of IWMB-sponsored training workshops. The first set of workshops, to be offered in early 2001 at 10 locations around the state, will be interactive instruction focusing on operational and regulatory issues. The targeted audience will be landfill personnel, LEA staff, and IWMB field staff that conduct landfill inspections. The workshops will have limited enrollment to facilitate interaction of participants. They are designed to augment the information presented at SWANA courses, and they focus on specific operational activities that most frequently result in violation of State minimum standards.

The SWANA agreement and training workshops are the first step in a multiyear pilot program to develop a landfill operator and inspector certification program. Additional training opportunities will be offered in the coming years. During the four-year pilot period, participation by operators and inspectors will be on a voluntary basis. At the end of the pilot period, the State training programs and the SWANA MOLO course will be evaluated to determine what the requirements of a California certification should be and whether a mandatory operator/inspector certification will be recommended.

Environmental Performance of Solid Waste Landfills
California’s regulatory program is primarily shared among the following three State agencies:

• The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) regulates water quality aspects of landfills through nine regional water quality control boards (RWQCB).
• The California Air Resources Board (CARB) oversees regulation of the air quality aspects of landfills through 35 air pollution and air quality management districts (air districts).
• The IWMB regulates all other aspects of solid waste disposal through 56 LEAs.

The IWMB is designated in California statute (PRC section 40508) as the lead State solid waste agency for all purposes stated in the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which contains Subtitle D, and any other federal act affecting solid waste. However, because the regulation of solid waste landfills is shared among three State agencies, the IWMB does not have access to landfill performance data or information across all environmental media and cannot provide a comprehensive assessment of landfill environmental performance in the state. In fact, no one agency has such an understanding.

The IWMB is initiating a major effort--the first of its kind in California--that will provide a complete picture of solid waste landfill performance across the environmental media of air, water, and gas. This study will ensure that the current status of landfills and the environmental impacts that may result are fully understood. At the same time, the study will look at all levels of environmental regulatory requirements (federal, State, and local) to fully understand all aspects of regulation and their affect on solid waste landfill performance.

The IWMB has retained GeoSyntec Consultants of Walnut Creek to conduct the study, which will be conducted between June 2000 and May 2002. Over the first 12 months of the study, GeoSyntec will profile more than 240 solid waste landfills that have accepted waste since October 1993, when U.S. EPA's first comprehensive landfill standards went into effect.

This initial part of the study will provide an exhaustive databank on existing facilities, including the physical features of the landfills, the environmental protection systems in place, and landfill compliance with environmental requirements. An important objective of the study is to have a complete picture of landfill performance today.

The study's second phase will analyze the design and operation of 50 landfills--including sites that handled trash before federal regulatory changes in 1993--and assess the effectiveness of current regulations in controlling environmental impacts over time. This part of the study will recommend ways to improve landfill operations to ensure greater environmental protection.

GeoSyntec will review regulations of other states and countries as well as emerging waste disposal technologies as part of the study, which could lead to reforms in the way in which California manages the 38 million tons of waste it landfills each year.

Research and Development

Composting Facilities
Composting and mulching have long been an accepted and practiced means of processing organic materials into products used in agriculture, erosion control, landscaping, and other end uses. In California more than 30 percent of the waste stream is comprised of compostable organic material. Currently, there are a number of regulated composting sites in California, along with an unknown number of chipping and grinding operations. Many more are planned to assist in diverting solid waste from disposal. Increased public scrutiny based on nuisance factors, as well as perceived health risk, continue to raise issues related to siting of these facilities near or close to residential areas. In June 1999 the IWMB began a collaborative research contract with Cal/Poly to study issues related to public health and nuisance concerns from compostable organic materials processing. Ongoing study and research continues with Cal/Poly in the following areas:

• Development of an operational and mitigation measures resource guide unique to California’s industry for the processing of compostable organic materials.
• A comprehensive study of past odor occurrences in California associated with composting and other organic materials processing operations.
• A research study that will investigate airborne bioaerosol levels from composting and other organic materials processing facilities.

Bioreactor Landfill Technology
Bioreactor landfill technology may meet the need for a more environmentally sound and sustainable alternative to the traditional "dry tomb" landfill. A bioreactor normally involves controlled leachate recirculation, controlled and enhanced landfill gas collection, and energy recovery. Accelerating the natural decomposition process results in a relatively inert low-threat residue over a much shorter period of time, while at the same time providing methane gas for generation of energy in the form of electricity. This method can also significantly increase landfill capacity. In addition, by using the methane gas for energy, the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is minimized

To better understand this new technology, in June 2000, the IWMB entered into a contract to provide $400,000 in support of a full-scale landfill bioreactor pilot project at the Yolo County Landfill.