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CLEAN AIR, GROUNDWATER BENEFITS AT VIRGINIA LANDFILLS
Release Date: 10/05/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 5, 2000
CLEAN AIR, GROUNDWATER BENEFITS AT VIRGINIA LANDFILLS
On Sept. 29, EPA signed a Project XL agreement with two Virginia landfills to test variations of bioreactor systems that would result in a variety of environmental benefits, including enhanced groundwater protection, expedited Clean Air Act compliance and longer landfill life. The bioreactor systems will be installed at subsidiaries of Waste Management Inc. in Amelia County and King George County. Both landfills now accept
municipal solid waste and a small percentage of biodegradable products. In a bioreactor landfill, liquids are circulated through the waste to speed up natural degradation. Under
this XL project, two bioreactor systems will be compared, one that re-circulates facility-generated leachate through the waste and one that recirculates leachate plus other liquids such as stormwater. The two counties seek flexibility from federal regulations that
require the use of a standard liner when recirculating leachate in landfills. This project will measure the extent to which alternative liners provide superior environmental protection, and to help determine whether such innovations should be considered at other landfills. Superior environmental benefits are expected from the decreased emissions of landfill gas, accelerated waste decomposition, and environmentally improved leachate. The economic dividends include an increase the amount of waste that can be disposed of within the landfill and less need for new landfills.
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