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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7817 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7817 April 15, 1594 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 4 rexAy` Subject: PROPOSED SOUTHEAST LANDFILL PERMIT MODIFICATIONS BACKGROUND The City of Fort Worth's Southeast Landfill is a 297-acre site located in southeast Fort Worth approximately one mile south of the intersection of 120 and U.S. 287 that has been in operation since 1967. It is a Type I facility permitted by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) and operated in compliance with TNRCC rules and regulations. On November 22, 1988, its permit was amended to enable expansion of the facility and construction of improvements that included channelization of Village Creek, new levees,storm water retention basins' and a three-foot-wide slurry trench that surrounds the entire site and is keyed into an underlying geological formation. Construction was completed in 1990. Based on the 120,000 tons of waste that were estimated to be disposed of annually at Southeast Landfill, the facility was estimated to have thirteen years of disposal capacity. With the TNRCC's adoption of new regulations implementing the Environmental Protection Agency's Subtitle D requirements for municipal landfills that became effective October 9, 1993, the current permit for Southeast Landfill will require modifications in operation and design in order to achieve full regulatory compliance. Permit modification documents are required to be submitted to TNRCC by April 9, 1994. OP-1 r CURRENT OPERATIONS The Southeast Landfill currently receives 20%of the City's residential solid waste that is collected by City crews. The landfill also receives solid waste from commercial haulers and the public. In 1993, the landfill received an estimated 70,000 tons of solid waste. The decrease in waste from the previous year is due to additional portions of the City being contracted out and the initiation of curbside recycling collection in October 1992. Approximately 50%of the waste received in 1993 was municipal solid waste and the remaining 50% was construction/demolition debris and brush. SUBTITLE D REQUIREMENTS Those areas of the current permit for Southeast Landfill that are required to be addressed in the modification documents to be submitted to TNRCC include: • Location restrictions regarding airport safety, floodplains, faults, seismic impact zones, wetlands and unstable areas. • Site development plan including cap, liner system, and storm water control System. • Methane monitoring requirements that relate to frequency and permanency of probes. • Groundwatering monitoring requirements increasing the number of constituents to be tested. • Plan for treatment of leachate and contaminated water. • Site operating plan for personnel, equipment, and other procedures to ensure regulatory compliance. • Closure, post•closure and financial assurance requirements. - ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH. TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No 7817 pPTfNf April t� 1994 OPP To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 2 Z3 Subject: PROPOSED LANDFILL MODIFICATIONS A study was initiated in August 1993 with Freese and Nichols, Inc., to determine what modifications would be required to enable Southeast Landfill to continue to operate in compliance with the new landfill regulations. It was determined that those areas which were landfilled prior to October 9, 1993 are not affected by some of the more costly provisions of the new regulations. Those areas can be filled to the final grades indicated in the previously approved site development plan. Approximately seventy-seven acres of the landfall falls in this category. It is proposed that the City continue to landfill in those areas until final grades are attained. Approximately 50% of the waste coming into Southeast Landfill is construction/demolition debris and brush and can be classified as Type IV. Regulatory requirements for Type IV disposal areas are less stringent than for Type I areas in both design and operational criteria. Site development and operational costs are also less for Type IV areas than for Type I areas. In order to maximize capacity for Type I wastes in the previously filled area, it is proposed that approximately 23.5 unfilled acres be developed as a Type TV area. Based on current volumes it is estimated that there is fifteen years capacity for Type I wastes in that area of the facility which has previously been landfilled. It is estimated that the 23.5 acre tract proposed to be developed for Type IV wastes will have a fourteen year capacity. It is proposed that as those areas become filled the remaining 50-acre tract of virgin land be developed as a new Subtitle D Type I area with an alternative Type I liner, cap, and leachate collection system. It is estimated that this area based on current volumes and a combination of wastes would provide eight years capacity. If developed as has been proposed,Southeast Landfill has approximately twenty-three years capacity remaining. With increased attention at the state and local level on recycling and waste minimization, the life of the facility could possibly be extended even more. Funds for the increased operating costs and development of one-half of the Type rV area will be requested in the FY 1994/95 operating budget. A non-Subtitle D issue which impacts Southeast landfill (and possibly other closed landfills) is the new air quality regulations enacted by the State which endeavors to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCS)at landfills in various urban areas of the state. These regulations may require the installation of gas collection equipment that would collect 98%of landfill VOC emissions by May 1995. Additional research is required in order to indicate with any degree of certainty what the City will be required to do. Unless directed otherwise by the City Council, modification documents will be submitted to TNRCC addressing the Subtitle D issues and the development of the site as outlined in the preceding discussion. Additional information can be provided upon request. ob T rrell City Manager - ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS