Landfill sites - Operating

Since the mid-1970s, regulations have focused on waste disposal methods, in order to control their environmental impact. Containment sites have evolved from "landfills" to "technical landfill centers". Since the early 1990s, major technical provisions have been introduced for both the design and operation of new "waste storage centers". After outlining the economic, social and environmental context in which they operate in article and have focused on the first aspect of these technical provisions, i.e. the siting and engineering of waste storage facilities, in a second article. , we'll take a closer look at how they work.

The first step is to define the conditions for waste acceptance, which is a prerequisite for the operation of the landfill. Depending on the type of waste accepted, landfills are divided into three classes: Class I for hazardous and special waste, Class II for household and similar waste, and Class III for inert waste. The operation of the center then consists in collecting and treating the effluents produced by the stored waste: leachates and biogas. A number of models for predicting the quality and quantity of these effluents are available to help design drainage and disposal facilities. Biogas recovery is also considered.

Finally, landfill sites are part of an environment that they must disturb and pollute as little as possible. They must be sources of controlled emissions. This means monitoring flow transfers into the surrounding natural environment (water, air, living organisms). Here, we describe the methods used both "in situ" and in the laboratory.