Agenda - Council - 05/31/1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I' I I I I I I I I I I I I I i I i- I In addition to the compensation fund, the state or counties should require all landfill owners/operators to provide appropriate supplemental financial guarantees~ including but not limited to insurance, self- insurance~ trust funds.) surety bonds~ escrow accounts' to ensure that potential pro~le~s will be remedied during the landfill's operation, when it is closed and after closure. Special attention should be shown to cur- rently used landfills. Many lack the environmental controls (for example, bottom liners and leachate collection systems) that new l~nd- fills will have. There are already known pollution problems at several of these existing landfills. Correcting these problems are the respon- sibility of the landfill owners/operators. If a compensation fund is established~ the vast majority of it should be reserved for closed~ currently operating and future solid waste land- fills. Other types of disposal sites, such as those used for hazardous was-'a-~t-6~-, should rely on other funding sources. The MPCA should develop a plan or procedure for handling problems at landfills where liability is not easily assigned or where owners or operators cannot be found. The compensation fund and financial guarantees would provide a systematic approach to reSolving problems from landfills and assuring immediate relief to those affected people and communities. In turn, the state would litigate against the polluter to recover compen- sat'ion to pay'for damages and remedial actions. The state should enact, by statute~ a standard of liability to ensure it is reasonably able to recover compensation from the defendant. AIR POLLUTION Operations at sanitary landfills emit various substances into the air, including tailpipe gases and particles from trucks,dust, and odors and methane gas from decomposing refuse. Emissions from trucks and heavy equipment probably will not reach any significant concentrations. Daily soil cover overlying the refuse and a suitably sized buffer zone will reduce potential odor impacts. Landfill operations do generate a great use of dust--a major concern. However, dust can be controlled by the landfill operator. The MPCA requires landfill operators to take reasonable measures, to prevent dust from becoming airborne, including paving roads, applying dust-free sur- faces or applying water. Sanitary landfills als generate gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane and other volatile organics as the refuse decomposes. These do not cause problems; except methane. The MPCA requirQs that methane and other decomposition gases be vented into the atmosphere directly through cover material, into cut-off trenches, by forced venti- lation, or by other means to prevent explosive concentrations. Cost of such measures is to be borne by the landfill owner. 10