UAQ

Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8



























Practice 10
Visit to the Land Fill Mompani.
By
Fernando Vzquez Blanco.

UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

Cb[ect|ve
See Lhe faclllLles and Lhe process Lakes place ln Lhe landflll Mompanl Lhe SLaLe of CuereLaro
Introduct|on
1he landflll ls a Lechnlque of flnal dlsposal of solld wasLe on Lhe ground LhaL ln prlnclple does noL
cause dlscomforL or sauld hazards and publlc safeLy nor harm Lhe envlronmenL when ln operaLlon
or afLer compleLlon Lhereof 1hls Lechnlque uses prlnclples of englneerlng Lo conflne Lhe wasLe ln
an area as small as posslble wlLh layers of earLh are generaLed dally 600 Lons of munlclpal solld
wasLes 1hls Lown has a landflll Mompanl ln 623 recycled wasLe by separaLlng Lhose wlLh a
markeL value of recycllng When Lhe amounL recycled ls sold 30 of Lhe galn ls for Lhe clLy of
CuereLaro and 30 for roacLlve
AlLhough Lhe lasL munlclpal admlnlsLraLlon (20002003) lncreased Lhe frequency of wasLe
collecLlon lnsufflclenL lnfrasLrucLure added Lo Lhe consLanL lncrease of solld wasLe has led Lo
naLlonal and mulLlnaLlonal companles enLerlng Lhls dynamlc over fourLeen companles LhaL glve
collecLlon servlce Lransfer and LreaLed wasLe generaLed wlLhln Lhe munlclpallLy Lo areas where Lhe
currenL admlnlsLraLlon cannoL
Mompanl 1he landflll ls consldered one of Lhe besL ln LaLln Amerlca Pazardous wasLes generaLed
ln Lhe munlclpallLy are LransporLed Lo a landflll locaLed ln nuevo Leon whlch ls conLracLed Lo
8lms a company LhaL owns and gaLherers LreaLmenL planLs and hazardous solld wasLe ln
dlfferenL parLs of Lhe counLry 1here ls yeL anoLher Lype of flnal desLlnaLlon for Lhe wasLe
generaLed by munlclpallLles ln Lhe sLaLe of CuereLaro Lhere are dump slLes ln Lowns such as lnal
de Amoles where all Lrash ls deposlLed lnLo a ravlne edro Lscobedo also uslng Lhls resource ls
harmful Lo Lhe envlronmenL because a porLlon of Lhe populaLlon prevenLs Lhe company CLn open
a landflll ln LhaL area
1heatr|ca| Iramework
A landflll slLe ls a slLe for Lhe dlsposal of wasLe maLerlals by burlal and ls Lhe oldesL form of wasLe
LreaLmenL PlsLorlcally landfllls have been Lhe mosL common meLhods of organlzed wasLe dlsposal
and remaln so ln many places around Lhe world


llgure 1 1yplcal landflll



UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

Landfllls may lnclude lnLernal wasLe dlsposal slLes (where a producer of wasLe carrles ouL Lhelr
own wasLe dlsposal aL Lhe place of producLlon) as well as slLes used by many producers Many
landfllls are also used for wasLe managemenL purposes such as Lhe Lemporary sLorage
consolldaLlon and Lransfer or processlng of wasLe maLerlal (sorLlng LreaLmenL or recycllng)







llgure 2 WasLes ln Lhe landflll
A landflll also may refer Lo ground LhaL has been fllled ln wlLh rocks lnsLead of wasLe maLerlals so
LhaL lL can be used for a speclflc purpose such as for bulldlng houses unless Lhey are sLablllzed
Lhese areas may experlence severe shaklng or llquefacLlon of Lhe ground ln a large earLhquake
Cperat|ons
A secLlon of a landflll locaLed ln 8arclay CnLarlo 1hls landflll ls one of several landfllls used by
uryden CnLarlo
1yplcally ln non hazardous wasLe landfllls ln order Lo meeL predeflned speclflcaLlons Lechnlques
are applled by whlch Lhe wasLes are
Conflned Lo as small an area as posslble
CompacLed Lo reduce Lhelr volume
Covered (usually dally) wlLh layers of soll
uurlng landflll operaLlons Lhe wasLe collecLlon vehlcles are welghed aL a welghbrldge on arrlval
and Lhelr load ls lnspecLed for wasLes LhaL do noL accord wlLh Lhe landflll's wasLe accepLance
crlLerla AfLerward Lhe wasLe collecLlon vehlcles use Lhe exlsLlng road neLwork on Lhelr way Lo Lhe
Llpplng face or worklng fronL where Lhey unload Lhelr conLenLs AfLer loads are deposlLed
compacLors or dozers are used Lo spread and compacL Lhe wasLe on Lhe worklng face 8efore
leavlng Lhe landflll boundarles Lhe wasLe collecLlon vehlcles pass Lhrough a wheel cleanlng faclllLy
lf necessary Lhey reLurn Lo Lhe welghbrldge ln order Lo be welghed wlLhouL Lhelr load 1hrough
Lhe welghlng process Lhe dally lncomlng wasLe Lonnage can be calculaLed and llsLed ln daLabases
UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

ln addlLlon Lo Lrucks some landfllls may be equlpped Lo handle rallroad conLalners 1he use of
rallhaul permlLs landfllls Lo be locaLed aL more remoLe slLes wlLhouL Lhe problems assoclaLed
wlLh many Lruck Lrlps
1yplcally ln Lhe worklng face Lhe compacLed wasLe ls covered wlLh soll dally AlLernaLlve wasLe
cover maLerlals are several sprayedon foam producLs and Lemporary blankeLs 8lankeLs can be
llfLed lnLo place wlLh Lracked excavaLors and Lhen removed Lhe followlng day prlor Lo wasLe
placemenL Chlpped wood and chemlcally flxed blosollds may also be used as an alLernaLe dally
cover 1he space LhaL ls occupled dally by Lhe compacLed wasLe and Lhe cover maLerlal ls called a
dally cell WasLe compacLlon ls crlLlcal Lo exLendlng Lhe llfe of Lhe landflll lacLors such as wasLe
compresslblllLy wasLe layer Lhlckness and Lhe number of passes of Lhe compacLor over Lhe wasLe
affecL Lhe wasLe denslLles
lmpacLs
Landflll operaLlon

llgure 3 noLe LhaL Lhe area belng fllled ls a slngle welldeflned cell and LhaL a rubberlzed landflll
llner ls ln place (exposed on Lhe lefL) Lo prevenL conLamlnaLlon by leachaLe mlgraLlng downward
Lhrough Lhe underlylng geologlcal formaLlon
A large number of adverse lmpacLs may occur from landflll operaLlons lnfrasLrucLure damage
(eg damage Lo access roads by heavy vehlcles) polluLlon of Lhe local envlronmenL (such as
conLamlnaLlon of groundwaLer and/or aqulfers by leakage or slnkholes and resldual soll
conLamlnaLlon durlng landflll usage as well as afLer landflll closure) offgasslng of meLhane
UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

generaLed by decaylng organlc wasLes (meLhane ls a greenhouse gas many Llmes more poLenL
Lhan carbon dloxlde and can lLself be a danger Lo lnhablLanLs of an area) harborlng of dlsease
vecLors such as raLs and flles parLlcularly from lmproperly operaLed landfllls whlch are common ln
developlng counLrles ln[urles Lo wlldllfe and slmple nulsance problems (eg dusL odor vermln
or nolse polluLlon)
MosL modern landfllls ln lndusLrlallzed counLrles are operaLed wlLh conLrols Lo aLLempL Lo manage
problems such as Lhese Analysls of common landflll operaLlonal problems ls avallable
Some local auLhorlLles have found lL dlfflculL Lo locaLe new landfllls CommunlLles may charge a fee
or levy ln order Lo dlscourage wasLe and/or recover Lhe cosLs of slLe operaLlons Many landfllls are
publlcly funded buL some are commerclal buslnesses operaLed for proflL
rocedure
1) 1o evaluaLe Lhe slLes Lo be meL for Lhe flnal dlsposlLlon munlclpal solld wasLe accordlng Lo Lhe
nCM 083
2) deLermlne Lhe aspecLs Lo evaluaLe Lhe slLe as well as hydrologlcal geologlcal and
hydrogeologlcal 8ulld a Lable of evaluaLlon crlLerla meL parLlally meL or noL meL and Lo
deLermlne Lhelr classlflcaLlon
3) LvaluaLe Lhe complemenLary works of Lhe landflll ln accordance wlLh nCM 084 ls quallfled wlLh
Lhe crlLerla LhaL has been drlvlng
uest|onna|re
1 ou can get e|ectr|c|ty from the methane generated at the |andf||| and why?
1here are Lwo ways Lo capLure LhaL meLhane one burn lL and buy carbon credlLs Lhe second
produclng elecLrlclLy 1he ClLy chose Lhe second opLlon and wlll LenLaLlvely Lhls week when
you sLarL Lhe process Lo converL meLhane lnLo elecLrlclLy announced SecreLary of munlclpal
servlces !ose de la Carza
MeLhane ls a llLLle over 30 of Lhe gases LhaL make up Lhe blogas whlch makes Lhls a fuel wlLh
good characLerlsLlcs for be used ln Lurblnes or englnes lnLernal combusLlon generaLors LhaL
Lrlgger LlecLrlcal
1he generaLlon process sLarLs wlLh Lhe exLracLlon of blogas Lhrough verLlcal wells drllled ln
whole depLh of Lhe landflll
Surface Lhrough a neLwork of plpes blogas ls plped Lo a sLaLlon where you remove Lhe
molsLure and oLher undeslrable subsLances ln order Lo have a clean and efflclenL combusLlon
1hls process ls shown schemaLlcally ln llgure 2
UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

1he energy produced from landflll ls waLL 1Meg hour whlch wlll be allocaLed Lo sLreeL llghLlng
Pas noL yeL deLermlned whlch locaLlon wlll have sLreeL llghLlng produced by renewable
energy Lhe declslon wlll be based on Lhe basls of where Lhe munlclpal governmenL pays more
Lo Lhe lederal LlecLrlclLy Commlsslon Lo use lLs new energy Lhere
ln charge of Lhls pro[ecL ls Lhe dealershlp roacLlve parLnershlp wlLh LnvlronmenLal
1echnology Company ln CuereLaro

In Mompan| |andf|||
2 What |s the treatment g|ven to the |eachate and methane
Landflll gas ls produced when mlcroorganlsms break down organlc maLerlal ln Lhe landflll and
ls comprlsed of approxlmaLely 3060 percenL meLhane and 4030 percenL carbon dloxlde
1he leachaLe and Lhe meLhane ln Lhe landflll are compounds LhaL are derlved from Lhe
decomposlLlon of Lhe wasLes 1he meLhane ls LreaLed by combusLlon essenLlally
3 now many tons per day |andf||| rece|ves
Lach day Lhe populaLlon of Lhe clLy of CuereLaro generaLes 630 Lons of solld wasLe (garbage)
LhaL are over one hundred lndusLrlal orlgln 1he Mexlcan buslness envlronmenL whlch holds
Lhe concesslon for operaLlon and managemenL of Lhe landflll locaLed on Lhe road Lo a landflll
Mompanlbefore and has an area of LwenLy hecLares bullL on Lhe same slLe a planL wlLh lLs
own caplLal whlch wlll use blogas creaLed from Lhe composLlng of solld wasLe Lo generaLe
energy ln exchange for Lhe exLenslon of Lhe conLracL wlLh Lhe clLy councll has Lo manage Lhe
landflll

4 Under Mex|can |aw the |andf||| meets comp|ementary works necessary for the proper
funct|on|ng
1hls ls relaLed Lo Lhe nCM084SLMA8nA11994 LhaL esLabllshes Lhe requlremenLs for Lhe
deslgn of a landflll and Lhe consLrucLlon of addlLlonal works
l Access roads
ll 8oads lnslde
lll erlmeLer fence
lv SecurlLy gaLe and access conLrol
v Scale
vl urlnklng waLer elecLrlclLy and dralnage
vll uresslng rooms and LolleLs
vlll 8uffer sLrlp
UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

lx Cfflces
x Medlcal and ersonal SafeLy

S ear ||fe are detract from the |andf|||
WlLh a remalnlng capaclLy of 1 mllllon Lhree hundred Lhousand Lons of wasLe Lhe landflll
Mompanl sLlll has a llfe up Lo 3 years approxlmaLely
6 once c|osed the s|te use the f|oor p|ans
Cnce LhaL Lhe landflll ls closed Lhe use of soll ls noL for a common use for example crop or
consLrucLlons ls only llved Lhere by Lhe pass of Lhe Llme and under monlLorlng condlLlons
7 What stud|es and ] or ana|ys|s |s conducted for the construct|on of the |andf|||
A |andf||| also known as a dump or rubb|sh dump ls a slLe for Lhe dlsposal of wasLe maLerlals
by burlal and ls Lhe oldesL form of wasLe LreaLmenL
PlsLorlcally landfllls have been Lhe mosL common meLhods of organlzed wasLe dlsposal and
remaln so ln many places around Lhe world
revlous sLudles and analysls requlred for slLe selecLlon geologlcal Survey
Pydrogeologlcal sLudles
a) Lvldence and use of groundwaLer
b) ldenLlfy Lhe Lype of aqulfer
c) Analysls of Lhe flow sysLem
1he sLudles and analysls onslLe prlor Lo consLrucLlon and operaLlon of a dlsposal slLe Land
Survey (lncludlng planlmeLry and alLlmeLry ln deLall) CeoLechnlcal sLudy (Lo ensure Lhe
proLecLlon of soll groundwaLer surface waLer and groundwaLer Lhe sLablllLy of clvll works)
geologlcal assessmenL hydrogeologlcal assessmenL

8 Gametes of operat|on that takes p|ace |n the |andf|||
1he cholce of meLhod used for Lhe operaLlon of Lhe landflll proposals musL be based on Lhe
Lopography geomorphology and land geohydrologlcal chosen by selecLlng from Lhe followlng
Lrench area and barrel ramp / plL / quarry
MeLhod Canyon / plL / quarry
UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

ln places where lL ls posslble Lo use efflclenLly naLural or arLlflclal depresslons landflll
operaLlons Canyons ravlnes dry excavaLlons and quarrles loan have been used for Lhls
purpose 1echnlques for placlng and compacLlng solld wasLe landfllls ln depresslons vary wlLh
Lhe geomeLry of Lhe slLe Lhe characLerlsLlcs of Lhe coaLlng maLerlal hydrology and geology of
Lhe slLe and access Lo Lhe slLe
Conc|us|ons
Landflll mlnlng and reclamaLlon ls a developlng Lechnology and meLhod of wasLe managemenL
Clven lLs developmenLal sLaLus only LenLaLlve concluslons can be drawn regardlng LlM8 poLenLlal
and prospecLs for fulfllllng LhaL poLenLlal
1he alLernaLlves Lo landfllls are wasLe reducLlon and recycllng sLraLegles Secondary Lo noL creaLlng
wasLe Lhere are varlous alLernaLlves Lo landfllls ln Lhe laLe 20Lh cenLury alLernaLlve meLhods of
wasLe dlsposal Lo landflll and lnclneraLlon have begun Lo galn accepLance Anaeroblc dlgesLlon
composLlng mechanlcal blologlcal LreaLmenL yrolysls and plasma arc gaslflcaLlon have all began
Lo esLabllsh Lhemselves ln Lhe markeL
ln recenL years some counLrles such as Cermany AusLrla 8elglum Lhe neLherlands and
SwlLzerland have banned Lhe dlsposal of unLreaLed wasLe ln landfllls ln Lhese counLrles only Lhe
ashes from lnclneraLlon or Lhe sLablllzed ouLpuL of mechanlcal blologlcal LreaLmenL planLs may sLlll
be deposlLed

1able LvaluaLlon
Cr|ter|a Lva|uat|on
A Access roads MeL
8 8oads lnslde MeL
C erlmeLer fence MeL
u SecurlLy gaLe and access
conLrol
MeL
L Scale MeL
l urlnklng waLer elecLrlclLy and
dralnage
MeL
C uresslng rooms and LolleLs arLlally MeL
P Landflll MeLhod MeL
l Ceology MeL
! Pydrology MeL
k LqulpmenL MeL


UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

lmages











llgure 4 Mompanl Landflll













UAQ
Environmental Engineering.
Civil Engineering. Practice 8

llgure 3 SeparaLlon process











llgure 3 8ecycllng L1












llgure 6 CompacLlon machlne