LEA Equipment Loan Program

Global Positioning System (GPS) Reading Locations

All higher level latitude and longitude data should be made on accurate/current maps or by taking multiple readings of a GPS.

All landfill and disposal site and "tire plies" locator data should be taken -or- determined, to indicate the center or centroid of the landfill or disposal site (geographic center of the fill or fills -or- the site boundary center). While disposal site centroids will probably not change, permitted active landfill centroids may change over time as the facility receives more waste. Therefore, additional latitude and longitude readings may be required over time.

Other latitude and longitude information for facilities (not for landfills or disposal sites) such as transfer stations, MRFs, composting facilities, operations, tire facilities, tire dealers, etc. should be the main gate or office of the facility.

Latitude and longitude for a place can be determined from various sources, including the DeLorme Street Atlas or other similar geographic information systems.

There has been a long series of questions as to how to setup GPS units for obtaining Latitude and Longitude readings for solid waste facilities, sites and operations as well as tire facilities and locations for use in the SWIS database. To meet the needs of our web page users (and database users) throughout the state and world, accurate latitude and longitude information is extremely important.

Where to take GPS readings:

1. Disposal Sites (landfills, CIA sites, burn dumps, tire piles, etc.): the GPS reading should be taken in the center (centroid) of the waste footprint.
2. All other Solid Waste Facilities and Operations (transfer stations, composting, CD/I, etc.) and Tire Facilities: the GPS reading should be taken at the gate or office.
3. Calibration and Datum selection: When you replace batteries or setup the GPS for use, you should set the GPS with the proper datum (map projection type). The default nation wide is WGS 84 (World Goedetic System of 1984). If this datum option is not available on your GPS unit, then the next best option is NAD 83. Please make sure that the GPS unit is routinely calibrated and the time and datum are correct and please set your GPS readout for Decimal Degrees -or- Degrees, Minutes and Seconds format.

Last updated: April 18, 2008