Ala. Admin. Code r. 335-14-6-.14 - Landfills
(1)
Applicability. The requirements of apply to owners and
operators of facilities that dispose of hazardous waste in landfills, except as
335-14-6-.01(1)
provides otherwise. A waste pile used as a disposal facility is a landfill and
is governed by
335-14-6-.14.
(2)
Design and operating
requirements.
(a) The owner or
operator of each new landfill unit, each lateral expansion of a landfill unit,
and each replacement of an existing landfill unit, must install two or more
liners and a leachate collection and removal system above and between such
liners, and operate the leachate collection and removal system, in accordance
with 335-14-5-.14(2)(b).
(b) The owner or operator of each unit
referred to in
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
must notify the Department at least sixty days prior to receiving waste. The
owner or operator of each facility submitting notice must file a Part B
application within six months of the receipt of such notice.
(c) The owner or operator of any replacement
landfill unit is exempt from
335-14-6-.14(2)
(a) if:
1.
The existing unit was constructed in compliance with the design standards of
section 3004(o)(1)(A)(i) and (o)(5) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act and AHWMMA; and
2. There is no
reason to believe that the liner is not functioning as designed.
(d) [Reserved]
(e) In the case of any unit in which the
liner and leachate collection system has been installed pursuant to the
requirements of
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
and in good faith compliance with
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
and with guidance documents governing liners and leachate collection systems
under 335-14-6-.14(2)
(a), no liner or leachate collection system
which is different from that which was so installed pursuant to
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
will be required for such unit by the Department when issuing the first permit
to such facility, except that the Department will not be precluded from
requiring installation of a new liner when the Department has reason to believe
that any liner installed pursuant to the requirements of
335-14-6-.24(2)(a)
is leaking.
(f) The owner or
operator must design, construct, operate, and maintain a run-on control system
capable of preventing flow onto the active portion of the landfill during peak
discharge from at least a 25-year storm.
(g) The owner or operator must design,
construct, operate, and maintain a run-off management system to collect and
control at least the water volume resulting from a 24-hour, 25-year
storm.
(h) Collection and holding
facilities (e.g., tanks or basins) associated with run-on and run-off control
systems must be emptied or otherwise managed expeditiously after storms to
maintain design capacity of the system.
(i) The owner or operator of a landfill
containing hazardous waste which is subject to dispersal by wind must cover or
otherwise manage the landfill so that wind dispersal of the hazardous waste is
controlled.
(3)
Action leakage rate.
(a) The owner or operator of landfill units
subject to
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
must submit a proposed action leakage rate to the Director when submitting the
notice required under
335-14-6-.14(2)(b).
Within 60 days of receipt of the notification, the Director will: establish an
action leakage rate either as proposed by the owner or operator or modified
using the criteria in
335-14-6-.14(3);
or extend the review period for up to 30 days. If no action is taken by the
Director before the original 60 or extended 90 day review periods, the action
leakage rate will be approved as proposed by the owner or operator.
(b) The Director shall approve an action
leakage rate for landfill units subject to
335-14-6-.14(2)
(a). The action leakage rate is the maximum
design flow rate that the leak detection system (LDS) can remove without the
fluid head on the bottom liner exceeding one foot. The action leakage rate must
include an adequate safety margin to allow for uncertainties in the design
(e.g. slope, hydraulic conductivity, thickness of drainage material),
construction, operation, and location of the LDS, waste and leachate
characteristics, likelihood and amounts of other sources of liquids in the LDS,
and proposed response actions (e.g., the action leakage rate must consider
decreases in the flow capacity of the system over time resulting from siltation
and clogging, rib layover and creep of synthetic components of the system,
overburden pressures, etc.).
(c) To
determine if the action leakage rate has been exceeded, the owner or operator
must convert the weekly or monthly flow rate from the monitoring data obtained
under 335-14-6-.14(5)
to an average daily flow rate (gallons per acre per day) for each sump. Unless
the Director approves a different calculation, the average daily flow rate for
each sump must be calculated weekly during the active life and closure period,
and monthly during the post-closure period when monthly monitoring is required
under 335-14-6-.14(5)(b).
(4)
Response
actions.
(a) The owner or
operator of landfill units subject to
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
must develop and keep on-site until closure of the facility a response action
plan. The response action plan must set forth the actions to be taken if the
action leakage rate has been exceeded. At a minimum, the response action plan
must describe the actions specified in
335-14-6-.14(4)(b).
(b) If the flow rate into the leak detection
system exceeds the action leakage rate for any sump, the owner or operator
must:
1. Notify the Director in writing of
the exceedance within seven days of the determination;
2. Submit a preliminary written assessment to
the Director within 14 days of the determination, as to the amount of liquids,
likely sources of liquids, possible location, size, and cause of any leaks, and
short-term actions taken and planned;
3. Determine to the extent practicable the
location, size, and cause of any leak;
4. Determine whether waste receipt should
cease or be curtailed, whether any waste should be removed from the unit for
inspection, repairs, or controls, and whether or not the unit should be
closed;
5. Determine any other
short-term and longer-term actions to be taken to mitigate or stop any leaks;
and
6. Within 30 days after the
notification that the action leakage rate has been exceeded, submit to the
Director the results of the analyses specified in
335-14-6-.14(4)
(b)3., 4., and 5., the results of actions
taken, and actions planned. Monthly thereafter, as long as the flow rate in the
leak detection system exceeds the action leakage rate, the owner or operator
must submit to the Director a report summarizing the results of any remedial
actions taken and actions planned.
(c) To make the leak and/or remediation
determinations in
335-14-6-.14(4)(b)3.,
4., and 5., the owner or operator must:
1.
(i) Assess the source of liquids and amounts
of liquids by source,
(ii) Conduct
a fingerprint, hazardous constituent, or other analyses of the liquids in the
leak detection system to identify the source of liquids and possible location
of any leaks, and the hazard and mobility of the liquid; and
(iii) Assess the seriousness of any leaks in
terms of potential for escaping into the environment; or
2. Document why such assessments are not
needed.
(5)
Monitoring and inspection.
(a) An owner or operator required to have a
leak detection system under
335-14-6-.14(2)(a)
must record the amount of liquids removed from each leak detection system sump
at least once each week during the active life and closure period.
(b) After the final cover is installed, the
amount of liquids removed from each leak detection system sump must be recorded
at least monthly. If the liquid level in the sump stays below the pump
operating level for two consecutive months, the amount of liquids in the sumps
must be recorded at least quarterly. If the liquid level in the sump stays
below the pump operating level for two consecutive quarters, the amount of
liquids in the sumps must be recorded at least semi-annually. If at any time
during the post-closure care period the pump operating level is exceeded at
units on quarterly or semi-annual recording schedules, the owner or operator
must return to monthly recording of amounts of liquids removed from each sump
until the liquid level again stays below the pump operating level for two
consecutive months.
(c) "Pump
operating level" is a liquid level proposed by the owner or operator and
approved by the Director based on pump activation level, sump dimensions, and
level that avoids backup into the drainage layer and minimizes head in the
sump. The timing for submission and approval of the proposed "pump operating
level" will be in accordance with
335-14-6-.14(3)(a).
(6)
[Reserved]
(7)
[Reserved]
(8)
[Reserved]
(9)
[Reserved]
(10)
Surveying and
recordkeeping. The owner or operator of a landfill must maintain
the following items in the operating record required in
335-14-6-.05(4):
(a) On a map, the exact location and
dimensions, including depth, of each cell with respect to permanently surveyed
benchmarks; and
(b) The contents of
each cell and the approximate location of each hazardous waste type within each
cell.
(11)
Closure and post-closure care.
(a) At final closure of the landfill or upon
closure of any cell, the owner or operator must cover the landfill or cell with
a final cover designed and constructed to:
1.
Provide long-term minimization of migration of liquids through the closed
landfill;
2. Function with minimum
maintenance;
3. Promote drainage
and minimize erosion or abrasion of the cover;
4. Accommodate settling and subsidence so
that the cover's integrity is maintained; and
5. Have a permeability less than or equal to
the permeability of any bottom liner system or natural subsoils
present.
(b) To meet the
requirements in Rule
335-14-6-.14(11)(a),
the final cover system must contain (as a minimum):
1. A vegetated top cover. The top cover must:
(i) Be at least 24 inches thick;
(ii) Support vegetation that will effectively
minimize erosion;
(iii) Have a
final top slope between three and five percent;
(iv) Have a final side slope which does not
exceed 25 percent; and
(v) Have a
surface drainage system capable of conducting run-off across the cap without
erosion occurring.
2.
Drainage layer. The drainage layer must:
(i)
Be at least 12 inches thick with a saturated hydraulic conductivity not less
than 10-3 cm/sec;
(ii) Have a final
bottom slope of at least two percent;
(iii) Be overlain by a graded granular or
synthetic fabric filter to prevent clogging;
(iv) Be designed so that discharge flows
freely in the lateral direction to minimize the head on the low permeability
layer.
3. Low
Permeability Layer. The low permeability layer must consist of two components,
a synthetic liner and a compacted soil liner.
(i) The synthetic liner component must:
(I) Consist of at least a 20 mil synthetic
membrane;
(II) Be protected from
damage above the membrane by at least six inches of bedding material;
(III) Have a final upper slope of at least
two percent;
(IV) Be located wholly
below the average frost penetration;
(V) Lay directly on the compacted soil liner;
(ii) The compacted soil component must:
(I)
Have 24 inches of soil recompacted to a saturated hydraulic conductivity of not
more than 10-7 cm/sec;
(II) Have
the soil emplaced in lifts not exceeding six inches before compaction to
maximize the effectiveness of compaction.
(c) If the owner or
operator can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department that an
alternative cover system meets or exceeds the performance standards set forth
in Rule 335-14-6-.14(11)(a) and
(b), the alternative final cover system may
be used.
(d) After final closure,
the owner or operator must comply with all post-closure requirements contained
in 335-14-6-.07(8) through
(11) including maintenance and monitoring
throughout the post-closure care period. The owner or operator must:
1. Maintain the integrity and effectiveness
of the final cover, including making repairs to the cover as necessary to
correct the effects of settling, subsidence, erosion or other events;
2. Continue to operate the leachate
collection and removal systems until leachate is no longer detected;
3. Maintain and monitor the leak detection
system in accordance with
335-14-5-.14(2)(b)3.(iv),
(2)(b)4., and 334-14-6-.14(5)(b), and comply
with all other applicable leak detection system requirements of
335-14-6;
4. Maintain and monitor
the groundwater monitoring system and comply with all other applicable
requirements of Rule
335-14-6-.06;
5. Prevent run-on and run-off from eroding or
otherwise damaging the final cover; and
6. Protect and maintain surveyed benchmarks
used in complying with
335-14-6-.14(10).
7. The owner or operator must visually
inspect the final cover to identify evidence of settling, subsidence, erosion,
or other events expected to limit the integrity or effectiveness. These
inspections must be documented in an inspection log, as required by Rule
335-14-6-.02(6)(d).
These inspections must be performed at least weekly.
(12)
[Reserved]
(13)
Special requirements for
ignitable or reactive waste.
(a)
Except as provided in
335-14-6-.14(13)(b),
and in 335-14-6-.14(17),
ignitable or reactive waste must not be placed in a landfill, unless the waste
and landfill meet all applicable requirements of Chapter 335-14-9, and:
1. The resulting waste, mixture, or
dissolution of material no longer meets the definition of ignitable or reactive
waste under
335-14-2-.03(2) or
(4); and
2.335-14-6-.02(8)
(b) is complied with.
(b) Except for prohibited wastes which remain
subject to treatment standards in Rule
335-14-9-.04, ignitable wastes in
containers may be landfilled without meeting the requirements of
335-14-6-.14(13)(a)
provided that the wastes are disposed of in such a way that they are protected
from any material or conditions which may cause them to ignite. At a minimum,
ignitable wastes must be disposed of in non-leaking containers which are
carefully handled and placed so as to avoid heat, sparks, rupture or any other
condition that might cause ignition of the wastes; must be covered daily with
soil or other non-combustible material to minimize the potential for ignition
of the wastes; and must not be disposed of in cells that contain or will
contain other wastes which may generate heat sufficient to cause ignition of
the waste.
(14)
Special requirements for incompatible wastes.
Incompatible wastes, or incompatible wastes and materials, (see 335-14-6 -
Appendix V for examples) must not be placed in the same landfill cell, unless
335-14-6-.02(8)(b)
is complied with.
(15)
Special requirements for bulk and containerized
liquids.
(a) The placement of
bulk or non-containerized liquid hazardous waste or hazardous waste containing
free liquids (whether or not sorbents have been added) in any landfill is
prohibited.
(b) Containers holding
free liquids must not be placed in a landfill unless:
1. All free standing liquid:
(i) Has been removed by decanting or other
methods;
(ii) Has been mixed with
sorbent or solidified so that free-standing liquid is no longer observed;
or
(iii) Has been otherwise
eliminated; or
2. The
container is very small, such as an ampule; or
3. The container is designed to hold free
liquids for use other than storage, such as a battery or capacitor;
or
4. The container is a lab pack
as defined in
335-14-6-.14(17)
and is disposed of in accordance with
335-14-6-.14(17).
(c) To demonstrate the absence or
presence of free liquids in either a containerized or a bulk waste, the
following test must be used: Method 9095B (Paint Filter Liquids Test) as
described in "Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical
Methods," EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in rule
335-14-1-.02(2).
(d) [Reserved]
(e) Sorbents used to treat free liquids to be
disposed of in landfills must be nonbiodegradable. Nonbiodegradable sorbents
are: materials listed or described in
335-14-6-.14(15)(f)
l.; materials that pass one of the tests in
335-14-6-.14(15)(f)2.;
or materials that are determined by the Department to be nonbiodegradable
through the rule
335-14-1-.03 petition process.
1. Nonbiodegradable sorbents.
(i) Inorganic minerals, other inorganic
materials, and elemental carbon (e.g., aluminosilicates, clays, smectites,
Fuller's earth, bentonite, calcium bentonite, montmorillonite, calcined
montmorillonite, kaolinite, micas (illite), vermiculites, zeolites; calcium
carbonate (organic free limestone); oxides/hydroxides, alumina, lime, silica
(sand), diatomaceous earth; perlite (volcanic glass); expanded volcanic rock;
volcanic ash; cement kiln dust; fly ash; rice hull ash; activated
charcoal/activated carbon); or
(ii) High molecular weight synthetic polymers
(e.g., polyethylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene,
polystyrene, polyurethane, polyacrylate, polynorborene, polyisobutylene, ground
synthetic rubber, cross-linked allylstyrene and tertiary butyl copolymers).
This does not include polymers derived from biological material or polymers
specifically designed to be degradable; or
(iii) Mixtures of these nonbiodegradable
materials.
2. Tests for
nonbiodegradable sorbents.
(i) The sorbent
material is determined to be nonbiodegradable under ASTM Method G21-70
(1984a)-Standard Practice for Determining Resistance of Synthetic Polymer
Materials to Fungi; or
(ii) The
sorbent material is determined to be nonbiodegradable under ASTM Method G22-76
(1984b)-Standard Practice for Determining Resistance of Plastics to Bacteria;
or
(iii) The sorbent material is
determined to be non-biodegradable under OECD test 301B: [CO2 Evolution
(Modified Sturm Test)].
(f) The placement of any liquid which is not
a hazardous waste in a landfill is prohibited unless the owner or operator of
such landfill demonstrates to the Department, or the Department determines
that:
1. The only reasonably available
alternative to the placement in such landfill is placement in a landfill or
unlined surface impoundment, whether or not permitted or operating under
interim status, which contains, or may reasonably be anticipated to contain,
hazardous waste; and
2. Placement
in such owner or operator's landfill will not present a risk of contamination
of any "underground source of drinking water" (as that term is defined in
335-14-1-.02).
(16)
Special requirements for containers. Unless they are
very small, such as an ampule, containers must be either:
(a) At least 90 percent full when placed in
the landfill; or
(b) Crushed,
shredded, or similarly reduced in volume to the maximum practical extent before
burial in the landfill.
(17)
Disposal of small containers
of hazardous waste in overpacked drums (lab packs). Small
containers of hazardous waste in overpacked drums (lab packs) may be placed in
a landfill if the following requirements are met:
(a) Hazardous waste must be packaged in
non-leaking inside containers. The inside containers must be of a design and
constructed of a material that will not react dangerously with, be decomposed
by, or be ignited by the waste held therein. Inside containers must be tightly
and securely sealed. The inside containers must be of the size and type
specified in the Department of Transportation (DOT) hazardous materials
regulations (49 CFR Parts 173, 178 and 179), if those regulations specify a
particular inside container for the waste;
(b) The inside containers must be overpacked
in an open head DOT-specification metal shipping container (49 CFR Parts 178
and 179) of no more than 416 liter (110 gallon) capacity and surrounded by, at
a minimum, a sufficient quantity of sorbent material, determined to be
nonbiodegradable in accordance with
335-14-6-.14(15)(f),
to completely sorb all of the liquid contents of the inside containers. The
metal outer container must be full after packing with inside containers and
sorbent material;
(c) The sorbent
material used must not be capable of reacting dangerously with, being
decomposed by, or being ignited by the contents of the inside containers, in
accordance with
335-14-6-.02(8)(b);
(d) Incompatible wastes, as defined in
335-14-1-.02, must not be placed
in the same outside container; and
(e) Reactive wastes, other than cyanide- or
sulfide-bearing waste as defined in
335-14-2-.03(4)(a)5.,
must be treated or rendered non-reactive prior to packaging in accordance with
335-14-6-.14(17) (a) through
(d). Cyanide- and sulfide-bearing reactive
waste may be packaged in accordance with
335-14-6-.14(17)(a) through
(d) without first being treated or rendered
non-reactive.
(f) Such disposal is
in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 335-14-9. Persons who incinerate
lab packs according to the requirements in
335-14-9-.04(3)
may use fiber drums in place of metal outer containers. Such fiber drums must
meet the DOT specifications in
49 CFR
173.12 and be overpacked according to the
requirements in
335-14-6-.14(17)(b).
Notes
Authors: Stephen C. Maurer; James W. Hathcock; Amy P. Zachry; Michael B. Champion; Bradley Curvin; Theresa A. Maines; Heather M. Jones; Vernon H. Crockett
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-30-16, 22-30-17.
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