Landfill designed to protect water, Green Group says

The proposed 130 Landfill in northern Caldwell County will meet and, in many cases, exceed state and federal requirements to protect groundwater. 130 Landfill will be a state-of-the-art, highly-engineered, and environmentally-friendly waste management facility, planned to provide a steady source of revenue to Caldwell County in the form of host fees and taxes, to create good pa

ying jobs, and to generate new business opportunities for local contractors and service providers.

“130 Landfill is designed to meet or exceed state and federal requirements. In many cases, the design far exceeds these requirements,” said Ernest Kaufmann, president of Green Group Holdings, LLC. “For example, 130 Landfill will install more groundwater monitoring wells around the facility than regulations require. Our stormwater ponds can handle two back-to-back 100-year storm events, far exceeding the standard requirement to handle one 25-year storm event.”

“Even with state-of-the-art engineering, the idea of a landfill can be unsettling and people often have questions about protecting the environment. I’ve seen these reactions time and again and then I’ve seen relief wash over communities when they realize that our projects do indeed protect the environment and generate local revenue and economic activity,” said Kaufmann.

130 Landfill will feature multiple layers of groundwater protection including a compacted clay liner, a 60-mil HDPE liner, a comprehensive groundwater monitoring system, and two extensive drainage systems to separately manage uncontaminated rainwater on the site and liquids within the landfill 24 hours a day.

The engineered capacity of the leachate management system (“leachate” is a term used to describe liquid that comes in contact with waste) is based on good engineering practice and computer modeling. The system accounts for the maximum amount of water possible over the lifetime of the facility plus additional reserve capacity. Calculations are based on historical rainfall data for Caldwell County.

“By design, liquid will not sit on the landfill’s liner. Instead, rainwater and liquid that come in contact with waste in the landfill will be routed to sumps for removal 24 hours a day,” said Kaufmann. “The engineered system for managing all liquids in the 130 Landfill, including rainwater that comes in contact with waste, is a ‘closed system’ that will contain liquids within the landfill. All rainwater that comes in contact with waste is contained within this closed system and cannot ‘run off’ to streams or creeks,” he said.

Collected liquid will be transported off-site for treatment at a State-approved facility. Groundwater monitoring is continuous during the active life of the facility (estimated at 50 years) and during the closure and post-closure period for at least 30 more years.

As required by state regulation, other environmental protections at 130 Landfill will include covering waste completely every day, which reduces odor, controls litter, insects and rodents, and protects public health. Additionally, 130 Landfill will not accept sewage sludge, which is the main cause of odors at some landfills.

“We’re proud to bring decades of experience – along with the latest technology – to design, permit, develop, and operate 130 Environmental Park,” said Kaufmann. “Green Group Holdings is committed to the communities where we operate and we hold environmental stewardship and safety as our highest priorities.”

To learn more about 130 Environmental Park, please visit http://www.greengroupholdings.com/projects/130-environmental-park/