Richard Tedder (Florida) will co-present at the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Florida 2017 Summer Conference at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort in Fort Myers, Florida at 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. on July 24, 2017.

Tedder's presentation is entitled "Alternative Final Cover (AFC) Systems for the Closure of Solid Waste Landfills in Florida Regulation" and will be discussing systems for closing the solid waste landfills.

His co-presenters are: Paul O'Malley, Watershed Geo and David Scherbaty, Watershed Geo.

The conference provides the most up-to-date and innovative information regarding Florida's environmental rules and regulations. The conference invites and attracts a wide variety of occupations from attorneys to engineers to realtors. Another goal of the conference is to continue the education of engineers, the Florida bar, and licensed environmental professionals. The conference features a keynote speaker every year as well as courses and "break-out" sessions.

Abstract:

Alternative Final Cover (AFC) Systems for The Closure of Solid Waste Landfills in Florida Regulation and Innovation

Statement of major conclusions:

• Our industry has long history of applied research and development which has led to innovation in many areas, including landfill cover systems.
• The FDEP works collaboratively with our industry to balance innovation with sound environmental protection
• The presentation will contain an example of how innovation and a recent approval from FLDEP can benefit both site owners as well as environmental and community stakeholders."Landfill closure is an essential environmental protection phase in the life cycle of a landfill. . Since the early 1990's the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) RCRA Subtitle D regulations have provide proscriptive standards for the "traditional" final closure of Municipal Solid Waste Landfills utilizing soil, geomembrane and vegetation. Over time the USEPA has provided guidance that, "An alternative cover design may be used as long as it provides equivalent protection against infiltration and erosion" (USEPA April 2002 Technical Guidance for Final RCRA/CERCLA Covers). Our industry has invested in research to develop multiple types of AFC's. Examples include Evapo-transpirative covers (ET), capillary barriers, and exposed geomembrane covers (EGCs). These were introduced by demonstrating the infiltration rates through those covers meet or exceed the requirements of Subtitle D.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) however, does not explicitly allow an equivalency demonstration but requires an alternate procedure (Rule 62-701.310) to obtain such approval. Therefore, landfills where ECGs have been used, for example, have not received a final closure approval from FDEP. They are still considered a temporary final closure systems. ECGs has been permitted for use at the Naples landfill (first application of ECG), Polk County, Marion and County Baseline Landfill, and New River Landfill. FDEP requires the permittee to maintain the financial assurance. However, recent developments have shown some promise in changing this temporary final cover concept/policy. 
Recently, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection worked collaboratively with the private sector to evaluate and allow the approval of a technological innovation specific to final closure of Class I and Class III landfills within Florida. This innovative cover system uses a structured geomembrane, an engineered synthetic turf protective erosion layer and a specified infill and is known commercially as ClosureTurf®. This system provides a predictable benchmark of significantly improved performance for a final cover system in matters of construction scheduling, cost, runoff water turbidity, erosion, infiltration, maintenance cost and design life.

More Information

For more information regarding the event, visit: SWANA Florida 2017 Summer Conference
For more information on AFC systems and the closure of solid waste landfills, contact Richard Tedder at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.