The EPA requires landfills to prevent waste from leaching into groundwater.
Landfills are in-ground garbage storage facilities. After non-recyclable waste is transported to a landfill, landfill workers wrap it with a waterproof plastic liner to prevent leakage. When the liner reaches its capacity for trash, workers seal it and cover it with earth. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has several regulations related to landfills and landfill operations.
Composite Liners
Composite liners are plastic sheets that prevent waste runoff from entering the water table. According to EPA regulations, composite liners must have a flexible geomembrane that overlays at least 2 feet of compacted clay lining the bottom and sides of the landfill. Additionally, according to the EPA, composite liners must be sufficient to protect groundwater and the surrounding soil from the release of "leachates," or waste runoff.
Landfill Location and Waste Type
The EPA requires solid-waste landfills to be built away from wetlands and marshes, unless the landfill operating agency has proved that the landfill will cause no environmental effects on surrounding water, plants and animals. Additionally, landfills must be located at least 200 feet away from active fault lines.
Unless a landfill operator proves the landfill will not pose an environmental threat, he cannot build it on seismic impact zones or flood plains. Solid waste landfills can store household waste, industrial solid waste, construction debris and nonhazardous sludge, according to the EPA.
Financial Care
According to the EPA, landfill operators must provide financial assurance for the long-term maintenance and care of closed landfills. Specifically, landfill operators must have a written estimate record, in current dollars, of the cost of hiring a third party to perform landfill maintenance activities and submit that record to the applicable state director.
Disease Vectors
According to the EPA, landfill operators must implement a program to prevent disease vectors, such as bats, rodents and insects, from infiltrating the landfill.
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