You’re a landfill operator and you’re thinking that once you close your site, it will be time to kick back and relax, right? Think again. You will be required to maintain and monitor your landfill for up to 30 years after closing, and doing so can be quite time-consuming
and expensive.

However, the actions you take while your landfill is still operating can have a significant impact on the costs and effectiveness of the post-closure period. In fact, an effective closure only can be accomplished if a landfill’s daily operations are executed properly while the site is open. Implementing certain best operational and maintenance practices can improve a landfill operator’s ability to control the major areas of concern during the post-closure care period, which include:

• Waste settlement;
• Final cover system integrity;
• Maintenance of the vegetative cover component of the final cover;
• Erosion and stormwater control; and
• Leachate and landfill gas control.

By paying close attention to such operational details as compaction, soil and stormwater management, leachate recirculation and waste stream management, you will maximize the chances of a successful post-closure period.