HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976-08-18-LANDFILL-min.pdf To Howard Kessler
From Frank Sandy
Subject Landfill Review Committee r e 41 9 4
Date August 23, 1976
Our Committee held a meeting from 11 00 AM to 12 45 PM today
in the DPW office. Present were Paul MacKenzie, Jerry Martin,
Frank Sandy and Sue Solomon John McSweeney joined us at the end
Jim Lambie is out of town and hence was not invited to join F
the Committee
It was agreed that DPW/Engineering would promptly file a
notice of intent under the Hatch Act for drainage improvements
between the landfill and route 128 They are still concerned that
notifying E.Q E of their intent might provoke a rapid, irrational,
response They therefore plan to describe the locus of the work
by referencing stations along route 128 without mention of the
proximity of the landfill. The Committee agreed to this procedure k
although there was some feeling that E Q E might later become
even more upset when and if they discovered that it abutted the
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landfill. se
It was agreed that Paul MacKenzie would attempt to find a
member of the D A C with professional competence in landfill
management to review the Maguire operational plans and any other
proposals for landfill management that might be developed.
at
An asepct of the Maguire operational plan was discussed at
some length involved the intermediate cover layer of impervious
material, with a minimum slthpe of 2%, that was to be applied
within 30 days of the deposit of trash This procedure is,
according to Maguire, required by D P H regulations to prevent
rain water from percolating through the landfill and generating
leachate. Apparently, this procedure has not yet been implemented
Only the daily loose cover material is now being applied The
possibility of covering, and properly grading the existing filled
areas was discussed. It is not know to us what fraction of the
existing leachate generation would be eliminated by this action.
If leachate generation could be substantially reduced by this
procedure, and the spurious grodliwater flowing towards the landfill
from route 128 is kept away by the proposed ditch, the Town's
position could be greatly improved. On the other hand, some of the
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leachate is due to subsurface, Lateral) flow of groundwater into the
fill area, which becomes contaminated by trash already below the
water-table, and then flows out towards the brooks If this is
the predominant source of leachate, then adding an impervious
layer to the existing top of the landfill would serve to comply with
some of the regulations but not solve the leachate problem.
Perhaps C. E Maguire could give a quantitative estimate of
the fraction of leachate due to percolation of rainfall through
the landfill and the fraction due to subsurface, lateral, flow
through the landfill.
Mr McSweeney agreed to start acquiring and stockpiling
impervious soil as it becomes available from local construction
projects and to Look further into scheduling its distribution
into the current operation.
The possibility of reducing leachate in the subsurface flow
by surrounding an or part of the landfill with impervious
subsurface dikes or coffer dams was discussed This would clearly
be much more expensive than an impervious surface cover. It is
not known to us whether such action would result in significant
improvement.
No further action by the Committee is planned until after the
Hatch Act hearing on the proposed ditch.
7.140.12.01
Frank Sandy, Chairman
c.c. : Paul MacKenzie
Jerry Martin
Sue Solomon
Mary Miley
COPY TO. Board Members
9-8-76