Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 391 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES › Chapter 391-3 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Subject 391-3-4 - SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT › Rule 391-3-4-.07 - Landfill Design and Operations

Current through Rules and
				Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) All landfills must be designed by a
				professional engineer registered to practice in Georgia and designed in
				accordance with the following criteria:
(a)
				Site limitations: the landfill must be designed in such a manner as to comply
				with the specific site limitations issued by the Division as a part of a site
				approval.
(b) Buffers: Facilities
				must provide a minimum 200 foot buffer between the waste disposal boundary and
				the property line and a minimum 500 foot buffer between the waste disposal
				boundary and any occupied dwelling and the dwelling's operational private,
				domestic water supply well in existence of the date of permit application. The
				500-foot buffer may be reduced if the current owner of the dwelling provides a
				written waiver consenting to the waste disposal boundary being closer than 500
				feet. The waste disposal boundary is defined as the limit of all waste disposal
				areas, appurtenances, and ancillary activities (including but not limited to
				internal access roads and drainage control devices). No land disturbing
				activities are to take place in these buffers, except for construction of
				groundwater monitoring wells and access roads for direct ingress or egress,
				unless otherwise specified in a facility design and operation plan or
				corrective action plan approved by the Division.
(c) Site survey control shall be provided to
				ensure the operation will be on permitted lands. Survey control will be
				accomplished through use of permanent, accessible benchmarks, survey control
				stakes, and/or boundary markers which designate and/or delineate all permitted
				areas. Survey control shall be as indicated on the design and operational plan.
				Where necessary for construction or operational purposes, vertical as well as
				horizontal survey control will be established and maintained to delineate fill
				boundaries, buffers, and property boundaries.
(d) Liners and Leachate Collection Systems:
				new MSWLF units and lateral expansions shall be constructed with liners and
				leachate collection systems. The liner and leachate collection system must
				ensure that the concentration values listed in Table 1 will not be exceeded in
				the uppermost aquifer at the relevant point of compliance. The liner and
				leachate collection system must be designed and installed under the supervision
				of a professional engineer registered to practice in Georgia who shall certify
				the installation.
TABLE 1
Chemical
MCL (mg/l
)
Arsenic
0.05
Barium
1.0
Benzene
0.005
Cadmium
.01
Carbon tetrachloride
0.005
Chromium (hexavalent)
0.05
2, 4 - Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid
0.1
1, 4 - Dichlorobenzene
0.075
1, 2 - Dichloroethane
0.005
1, l - Dichloroethylene
0.007
Endrin
0.0002
Fluoride
4
Lindane
0.004
Lead
0.05
Mercury
0.002
Methoxychlor
0.1
Nitrate
10
Selenium
0.01
Silver
0.05
Toxaphene
0.005
1, 1, I-Trichloromethane
0.2
Trichloroethylene
0.005
2, 4, 5- Trichlorophenoxy acetic acid
0.01
Vinyl Chloride
0.002
1. If the MSWLF
				is located in an area of higher pollution susceptibility, as defined by
				Hydrologic Atlas #20, A Pollution Susceptibility Map of Georgia, or in a
				significant ground water recharge area as designated by Hydrologic Atlas #18,
				the liner and leachate collection system must, at a minimum, be designed with:
a. a composite liner, as defined in paragraph
				c. of this section and a leachate collection system that is designed and
				constructed to maintain less than a 30-cm depth of leachate over the
				liner.
b. at least a five foot
				separation between the liner system and the seasonal high ground water
				elevation.
c. For purposes of this
				section, "composite liner" means a system consisting of two components; the
				upper component must consist of a minimum 30-mil flexible membrane liner (FML),
				and the lower component must consist of at least a two-foot layer of compacted
				soil with a hydraulic conductivity of no more than 1 x
				10-7 cm/sec. FML components consisting of High
				Density Polyethylene (HDPE) shall be at least 60- mil thick. The FML component
				must be installed in direct and uniform contact with the compacted soil
				component.
2. The
				relevant point of compliance shall be no more than 150 meters from the waste
				management unit boundary and shall be located on land owned by the owner of the
				MSWLF unit. In determining the relevant point of compliance, the Division shall
				consider at least the following factors:
a.
				The hydrogeologic characteristics of the facility and surrounding
				land;
b. The volume and physical
				and chemical characteristics of the leachate;
c. The quantity, quality, and direction, of
				flow of ground water;
d. The
				proximity and withdrawal rate of the ground-water users;
e. The availability of alternative drinking
				water supplies;
f. The existing
				quality of the ground water, including other sources of contamination and their
				cumulative impacts on the ground water and whether groundwater is currently
				used or reasonably expected to be used for drinking water;
g. Public health, safety, and welfare
				effects; and
h. Practicable
				capability of the owner or operator.
3. For MSWLF units not located in significant
				ground water recharge areas or areas of higher pollution susceptibility, liners
				and leachate collection systems may meet a design standard other than that
				specified in subparagraph (1)(d) 1. of this Rule, so long as such design
				ensures that the concentration values listed in Table 1 of this Rule will not
				be exceeded in the uppermost aquifer at the relevant point of compliance. The
				factors listed in subparagraph 2. above for determining the relevant point of
				compliance, shall also be used in determining the suitability of the liner and
				leachate collection system design.
(e) Erosion and Sedimentation Control: all
				surface runoff from disturbed areas must be controlled by the use of
				appropriate erosion and sedimentation control measures or devices. Sediment
				basins must be designed to handle both the hydraulic loading for the 25 year,
				24-hour storm and the sediment loading from the drainage basin for the life of
				the site. Runoff from the facility must be designed for flow through permanent
				sediment control impoundments which are designed to assure discharges meeting
				the requirements of O.C.G.A.
				12-7-6.
(f) Vegetation: the plan must call for the
				vegetation of any disturbed area that will remain exposed for more than three
				(3) months. Vegetation of final cover must take place within two (2) weeks
				after final cover placement.
(g)
				Sequence of Filling: the plan must define a sequence of filling showing a
				detailed progression of filling the entire site that minimizes any problems
				with drainage and all weather access roads to the working face.
(h) Limited Access: a gate or other barrier
				shall be maintained at potential vehicular access points to block unauthorized
				access to the site when an operator is not on duty. A fence or other suitable
				barrier must be provided around the site, including impoundments, leachate
				collection and treatment systems and gas venting and processing facilities,
				sufficient to prevent unauthorized access.
(i) Final Grading: the grade of final slopes
				shall be designed to:
1. insure permanent
				slope stability;
2. control erosion
				due to rapid water velocity and other factors;
3. allow compaction, seeding, and vegetation
				of cover material placed on the slopes;
4. minimize percolation of precipitation into
				final cover and provide diversion of surface runoff from disposal area;
				and
5. meet the final closure
				requirements of Rule
				391-3-4-.11;
6. the grade of the final surface of the
				facility may not be less than 3 percent nor greater than 33 percent.
(j) Access Roads: access roads
				shall be designed to provide for the orderly egress and ingress of vehicular
				traffic when the facility is in operation, including during inclement
				weather.
(k) Fire Protection: the
				disposal site must be designed to prevent and minimize the potential for fire
				or explosion. A minimum supply of one day of cover material must be maintained
				within 200 feet of the working face for fire fighting purpose, unless other
				acceptable means have been provided and approved by the Director.
(l) Ground water and Surface water Monitoring
				Plan: the design must provide for a groundwater monitoring plan in accordance
				with the requirements for Groundwater Monitoring and Corrective Action as
				provided in Rule
				391-3-4-.14. A surface water
				monitoring plan which will determine the impact of the facility on all adjacent
				surface waters must also be included.
(m) Closure Criteria: the design must provide
				for proper closure in accordance with Rule
				391-3-4-.11.
(n) Post-Closure Care: the design must
				provide for Post-closure care in accordance with Rule
				391-3-4-.12.
(o) Financial Responsibility: the design must
				provide for financial responsibility in accordance with Rule
				391-3-4-.13.