They often refer to that part of the house as the garbage dump, a hazardous waste site, or a hard hat area. The contest was held April 13-15 at New Mexico State University. Dr. David L. Barnes, ANRC Environment, Safety, and Health Programs Manager, served as the team's mentor. Teams from New Mexico and Texas competed in the high school division. Each was required to design a landfill cover capable of remaining structurally sound for a minimum of 30 years.
Landfill covers keep moisture from reaching the landfill.
If moisture is able to penetrate a landfill's cover, it may then travel through the landfill, carrying contaminants with it that may pollute groundwater. To prove their landfill cover met design specifications, the Perryton students constructed a scale model on the school grounds. A few days of stormy Panhandle weather proved the cover kept out moisture. The team used live gerbils to test the cover's durability. We decided the only way to keep the gerbils away was to place wire screen across the surface of the cover.