1. Landfill Legislation Richard Campbell

2. INTRODUCTION  Prior to the mid-1980's, waste disposal sites were: sites that no one wanted, ie they were holes in the ground, swamps or derelict land.  In the 1980s the environment and impact of past mis- management of soil, rock and groundwater started to be given greater attention.

3. INTRODUCTION  1980's and early 1990's: very little specific regulation which dictated how landfills should be investigated and designed.  Legislation was in place that effectively required protection of soil and groundwater, there was little guidance on how the legislation should be interpreted or implemented..

4. INTRODUCTION  In the mid-1990's to present considerable attention was given to the development of policy, regulation and guidance for contaminated land assessment and landfill design.

5. REGULATIONS & STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS Landfill design, operation, and closure in Victoria is currently influenced by the following key statutory and planning documents.  Environment Protection Act (1970)  State Environmental Protection Policies  EPA Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and Management of Landfills) December 2004 (the Waste Management Policy)  The EPA Best Practice Environmental Management “Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills”, Publication 788, October 2001.  EPA Information Bulletin “Rehabilitation of landfills exempt from licensing” Publication 674, November 1999.

6. VICTORIAN LEGISLATION  Waste Hierarchy: EPA Act 1970  avoidance  reuse  recycling  recovery of energy  containment  disposal

7. WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS  All municipalities are members of a Regional Waste Management Group.  A RWMG must prepare a waste management plan for waste in its region.  Regional Waste Plan Examines performance of existing facilities. Identifies future waste management needs Carries out economic analysis of options Evaluates potential landfill sites Provides for waste minimisation/resource recycling programs. Provides for litter control.  EPA must reject applications that are not in accord with approved Waste Management Plans.

8. VICTORIAN REGIONAL WASTE MANAGEMENT GROUPS

9. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT  Specifies amount of levy payable (Schedule D)  Levy for RWMGs, EcoRecycle and EPA  Units are in dollars per tonne.

10. EPA Works Approvals  The Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises and Exemptions) Regulations specify those premises that must obtain prior approval before construction commences (works approval) and must operate in accordance with licence conditions.  Works approvals are not required for municipal landfills serving less than 500 people.  Works approvals process (EPA Publication 375.2)- allows EPA to comment on draft design, refer to the agencies, DHS and responsible authorities and allow EPA to draft licence conditions.  Licence not required if population served less <5000

11. LICENCE

14. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT  The Environment Protection Act empowers the various State Environmental Protection Policies (SEPPs) and Industrial Waste Management Plans (IWMPs).  SEPPs are designed to provide a framework for protection of the beneficial uses of the various segments of the environment.

15. RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL SEGMENTS  Surface Waters (leachate impacts, litter)  Groundwaters (leachate impacts)  Air (odour, dust, green house gas emissions)

16. RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL SEGMENTS

17. WATER POLICY  SEPP (Waters of Victoria)  Objectives:  Protect beneficial uses of water.  Methods:  Perimeter interception drains  Progressive Rehabilitation  Sedimentation control  Segregation of leachate from clean storm water  Appropriate leachate storage, treatment and disposal facilities.

18. GROUNDWATER POLICY  SEPP (Groundwaters of Victoria)  Objectives:  Protect beneficial uses of groundwater (drinking water, stock water, ecosystem, agriculture, parks and gardens, industrial water use, recreation).  Note: Beneficial Uses are dependent on the salinity of the groundwater.  Methods:  Avoid waste contacting groundwater  Ascertain potential impact on groundwater  Use landfill liners (natural or synthetic).  Extract leachate from landfill  Minimise leachate generation  Groundwater monitoring.

19. GROUNDWATER POLICY

20. AIR POLICY  SEPP (Air Quality Management)  Objectives:  Protect amenity (dust, odour)  Protect environment and humans  Reduce green house gases  Methods:  Buffers  Restrict waste  Gas extraction/monitoring  Cover (frequency, quality & quantity).

21. LANDFILL GAS MIGRATION Waste GAS GROUNDWATER Cap Liner Buildings Gas Extraction ?

22. LANDFILL WMP  Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and Management of Landfills)  Declared December 2004  Comply with objectives and indicators as per Air, Water & Groundwater SEPPs.  Must meet objectives and required outcomes of BPEM* (Policy states that suggested measures of the BPEM should be used alternatives may be used: through approval by Authority, equivalence based outcomes).  Clause 15 gives statutory authority to enforce the BPEM.  Key Issues:  Exclusion of new sites from areas of Segment A groundwater.  Exclusion of new sites from areas < 2 metres separation between waste and groundwater

23. BEST PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SITING, DESIGN, OPERATION AND REHABILITATION OF LANDFILLS  EPA Publication 788  Recognises the waste hierarchy  Provides siting guidance: physical and planning attributes. Community and conservation issues.  Sets liner and cap performance criteria.  Recognises key role of leachate of leachate colletion system  Construction QA  Guidance on operational practices.  Guidance on Rehabilitation and Aftercare. Note: unlicensed landfills not necessarily covered by BPEM.

24. BEST PRACTICE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SITING, DESIGN, OPERATION AND REHABILITATION OF LANDFILLS  The objectives and required outcomes are mandatory and reflect minimum requirements of policy.  Suggested Measures are default means of achieving required outcomes.  Where alternative means are put forward to achieve objectives then a risk based assessment will be required and approved by EPA.

25. Rehabilitation of Landfills Exempt from Licensing (Pub. No. 674)  Relatively old document (Nov. 1999)  It is a guideline only aimed at the rehabilitation and closure of small rural landfills (served population less than 5000 people).

26. BPEM CLASSIFICATION OF LANDFILLS Classification of landfills is based on wastes to be received.

27. BPEM SITING OF LANDFILLS There are 4 basic types of landfill recognised in the BPEM:  Area Method (existing hole filled)  Trench and fill method (hole excavated)  mound method (above ground)  valley fill Those in red are preferred by EPA.

28. BPEM BUFFER DISTANCES

29. GROUNDWATER PROTECTION Landfills should not be located in areas of potable groundwater (Segment A), groundwater recharge areas or in areas identified by the Water Act 1989 as a groundwater supply protection area, or below the regional water table.

30. SURFACEWATER PROTECTION Landfills should not be located in: Wetlands protected under Ramsar & JAMBA treaties. Marine and coastal reserves listed in schedule 4 of the National Parks Act 1975. Water Supply Catchments proclaimed under the Catchment and Land Protection Act. Land liable to flooding (1 in 100 yr).

31. BPEM DESIGN: LINER PERFORMANCE

32. BPEM DESIGN: LINER

33. BPEM LINER PERFORMANCE

34. CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE

35. BPEM CAP DESIGN

36. COMMON PROBLEMS Settlement Cracking

37. COMMON PROBLEMS Tree Roots

38. BPEM CAP DESIGN

39. COMPOSITE CAP LINER  Compacted Clay Liner  VFPE Liner  Cover soils  Active Gas Well Penetration ACTIVE GAS MANAGEMENT

40. PASSIVE GAS MANAGEMENT  Gas Trench  slotted pipe  aggregate  geotextile  Gas Vent  riser pipe  concrete footing PASSIVE GAS VENT

41. BPEM AFTER CARE MANAGEMENT The owner of a landfill could be liable for any pollution event for the indefinite future. EPA may require a financial assurance to cover after care and long term liability.

42. CLOSURE GRASS AND SHRUBS ON SOIL MOUNDS

43. CLOSURE EROSION PROTECTION

44. Thankyou