Washington Administrative Code › Title 173 - Ecology, Department of (See also Titles 197, 317, 372, and 508) › Chapter 173-408 - Landfill Methane Emissions › Section 173-408-110 - Monitoring

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Surface
			 emissions monitoring: The owner or operator of a MSW landfill with a gas
			 collection and control system must conduct quarterly instantaneous or
			 integrated surface monitoring of the entire landfill surface according to this
			 subsection and the procedures in WAC 173-408-120(3).
(a) A surface monitoring design plan must be
			 developed that includes a topographical map that, at a minimum, clearly
			 identifies the monitoring traverse and the working face, and describes the
			 rationale for any site-specific deviations. The plan must be updated quarterly
			 if changes are made to the monitoring traverse or working face, and the surface
			 monitoring design plan must be provided upon request by the department or local
			 authority.
(b) The owner or
			 operator of a MSW landfill must notify the department or local authority within
			 two working days after all corrective actions and remonitoring taken to address
			 exceedances detected under (c) or (d) of this subsection, and subsection (2)(c)
			 of this section. The notification must include a description of the corrective
			 actions taken. The owner or operator of a MSW landfill may request alternative
			 compliance measures to replace the requirements of this subsection in
			 accordance with WAC 173-408-130.
(c) Instantaneous surface monitoring: Any
			 reading exceeding the limit in WAC 173-408-100 (2)(a) must be recorded and
			 reported as an exceedance and the following actions must be taken:
(i) The owner or operator must record the
			 date, location, and value of each exceedance, along with retest dates and
			 results. The location of each exceedance must be clearly marked and identified
			 on a topographic map, at a minimum, of the MSW landfill, drawn to scale with
			 the location of both the grids and the gas collection system clearly
			 identified.
(ii) Corrective action
			 must be taken by the owner or operator such as, but not limited to, cover
			 maintenance or repair, and well vacuum adjustments, and the location must be
			 remonitored within 10 calendar days of a measured exceedance.
(A) If the remonitoring of the location shows
			 a second exceedance, additional corrective action must be taken, and the
			 location must be remonitored again within 10 calendar days of the second
			 exceedance.
(B) If the remonitoring
			 required by (c)(ii)(A) of this subsection shows a third exceedance, the owner
			 or operator must install a new or replacement well, or an alternative active
			 methane control approved by the department or local authority, as needed to
			 achieve compliance no later than 120 calendar days after detecting the third
			 exceedance.
(iii) Any
			 closed MSW landfill that has no monitored exceedances of the limit in WAC
			 173-408-100 (2)(a) after four consecutive quarterly monitoring periods may
			 monitor annually. Any exceedances of the limit in WAC 173-408-100 (2)(a) detected during the annual monitoring will result in a return to quarterly
			 monitoring of the landfill.
(iv)
			 Any exceedances of the limit in WAC 173-408-100 (2)(a) detected during any
			 compliance inspections will result in a return to quarterly monitoring of the
			 landfill.
(d) Integrated
			 surface monitoring: Any reading exceeding the limit in WAC 173-408-100 (2)(b) must be recorded and reported as an exceedance and the following actions must
			 be taken:
(i) The owner or operator must
			 record the average surface methane concentration measured for each grid along
			 with retest dates and results. The location of the grids and the gas collection
			 system must be clearly marked and identified on a topographic map, at a
			 minimum, of the MSW landfill drawn to scale.
(ii) Within 10 calendar days of a measured
			 exceedance, corrective action must be taken by the owner or operator such as,
			 but not limited to, cover maintenance or repair, and well vacuum adjustments,
			 and the grid must be remonitored.
(A) If the
			 remonitoring of the grid shows a second exceedance, additional corrective
			 action must be taken, and the location must be remonitored again within 10
			 calendar days after the second exceedance.
(B) If the remonitoring required by
			 (d)(ii)(A) of this subsection shows a third exceedance, the owner or operator
			 must install a new or replacement well, or an alternative active methane
			 control approved by the department or local authority, as needed to achieve
			 compliance no later than 120 calendar days after detecting the third
			 exceedance.
(iii) Any
			 closed MSW landfill that has no monitored exceedances of the limit in WAC
			 173-408-100 (2)(b) after four consecutive quarterly monitoring periods may
			 monitor annually. Any exceedances of the limit in WAC 173-408-100 (2)(b) detected during the annual monitoring event will result in a return to
			 quarterly monitoring of the landfill.
(iv) Any exceedances of the limit in WAC
			 173-408-100 (2)(b) detected during any compliance inspections will result in a
			 return to quarterly monitoring of the landfill.
(e) An owner or operator of a closed MSW
			 landfill that can demonstrate that, in the three years before the effective
			 date of this chapter, there were no exceedances of the limit in WAC
			 173-408-100(2), as measured by annual or quarterly monitoring, may monitor
			 annually. Any exceedances of the limit in WAC 173-408-100(2) detected during
			 the annual monitoring event will result in a return to quarterly monitoring of
			 the landfill.