SITE SELECTION PARAMETERS FOR A SANITARY LANDFILL SITE

The following considerations are taken while designing a sanitary landfill site:

SITE SELECTION

Factors considered while evaluating the potential of solid waste disposal sites are:

• availability of land area
• Processing and resource recovery impacts
• Haul distance
• soil conditions and topography
• climatic conditions
• surface water hydrology
• geologic and hydrologic conditions
• local environmental conditions
• Final use of complete site

1) LAND AREA AVAILABILITY

In order to select a suitable land disposal site sufficient land area should be ensured. There are no fixed rules prescribed for area but its is needed to have the area operated for atleast 1 year at a site. For shorter times the operations become more expensive because of site preparation, provision of auxiliary facilities and final cover completion. 

2) RESOURCE RECOVERY

During the assessment of potential disposal sites the extent of resource recovery processing activities occurring in future should be predicted. These activities have impact on quantity and condition of residual materials to be disposed off. As an example for the recycling of 50 % of paper  the weight of disposed materials and requirement of landfill area must be reduced. The recovery facility presence should also be in consideration at the disposal sites.

3) HAUL DISTANCE

For selecting a disposal site the haul distance is an important parameter. The length of haul affect the design and waste management operation. It is suggested to use minimum haul distance but along with this other factors should also be considered such as: collection route location, local traffic patterns, condition of routes, traffic patterns and access conditions.

4) SOIL CONDITIONS AND TOPOGRAPHY

The characteristics of soils in the area must be provided. If the soil of proposed landfill area is used for cover material than its geologic and hydrlogic investigations must be there. If the cover material is taken from borrow pit than test borings are needed to characterize the material. The local topography must be considered.

5) CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Climatic conditions must be considered to evaluate the potential sites. Many locations access is affected by winter season. When freezing is severe landfill cover material must be available in stockpiles. Wind and its patterns must be considered carefully. Windbreaks must be used to avoid the blowing or flying papers. Specific type of wind break depends upon local conditions.

6) LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

To build landfill sites close to residential or industrial areas care must be taken while it is environmentally acceptable or not in terms of noise, odor, dust and vector control. Flying papers and plastic films must be controlled.