Landfill Liners and Covers: Properties and Application to Army Landfills

摘要

Information is provided to help Army installations choose landfill liner and cover systems resistant to chemical attack from the leachate generated and compatible with the environment. A linear and cover system must be designed with consideration of pollution regulations, environment, climate, and type of leachate produced. Federal regulations requiring the landfill to comply with the most stringent local air and water quality standards are summarized. The material used as a liner or cover must also be chosen based on the environment, climate, and chemical compatibility with the leachate. Both natural and synthetic materials are available and each type must be expected to react differently with the leachate produced at a given site. Natural materials include clays and soils--either local or transported from another location. Synthetic membranes include various manmade polymers that are seamed at the fill site to form a giant pouch to contain the leachate. In a separate class are asphalts and admixed materials; these may be either sprayed onto landfill walls or applied as with highway construction. A liner and cover system may include piping, additional gas controls, and adjacent lagoons for collection, treatment, or recycling. The system should have monitoring devices or sampling points, as the landfill's continued success depends on careful control throughout the service life and after closure. Examples are cited of landfill sites actually using complete liner and cover systems.