Landfill compliance certifications and audits

Landfill compliance certifications and audits. (1) Compliance certification. No later than April 30 of each year and until otherwise specified by the department, the owner or operator of any licensed landfill that is in operation, or of any licensed, closed landfill with an approved total design capacity exceeding 1,000,000 cubic yards, shall prepare and submit to the department a compliance certification. The certification shall be prepared and signed by the owner or operator of the landfill, certified facility manager, solid waste manager, or person most directly responsible for the landfill’s day to day operation. The signer shall certify that he or she is aware of all approved plans for the landfill, all department conditions of approval, and all applicable solid waste statutory and administrative rules, and that to the best of the signer’s knowledge, information, and belief, the landfill is or is not in substantial compliance with all approved plans and requirements. For landfills that are in full compliance, no narrative is required beyond the certification statement. For other landfills, all known areas of noncompliance shall be clearly indicated. This subsection does not impose personal liability upon certified facility managers or certified site operators. (2) Audits. As specified under s. 289.91 , Stats., the department may perform audits of any landfill. Following a minimum 30-day advance notification, the landfill owner or operator shall ensure that during the period of the audit, a conference room or adequate office space is provided for department personnel, and that proper technical personnel representing the owner are present to respond to department inquiries regarding the landfill. The owner or operator shall also ensure that any of the information in pars. (a) to (j) or any other information specified by the department in its audit notification letter is available in an organized fashion for the department to review. The owner or operator shall provide copies of requested information for the department to take with them following the audit. If requested by the department, the owner, operator or their representatives shall present the requested information to the department during the audit and also participate in an inspection of any aspects of the landfill which the department requests. The owner or operator shall provide the department with access to all items or areas of the landfill which are related to landfill performance or to compliance with approved plans, solid waste administrative rules or statutes. (a) One or more full-sized plan view drawings clearly annotated to show the following: 1. The portions of the landfill which currently are receiving solid waste; 2. All portions of the landfill which have been filled, but have not yet been brought to approved final grades; 3. All portions of the landfill which have been filled to approved final grade and the extent to which the final cover system has been placed; 4. All portions of the landfill which currently are undergoing development or closure; 5. All portions of the landfill which have yet to be developed; and 6. Any areas which have been filled above approved final grades or beyond the approved limits of filling. (b) Calculations based on the most recent topographic survey which show the design capacity volume which has been filled, the remaining design capacity volume, and the estimated remaining site life. All assumptions used in the calculation of estimated remaining site life shall be provided. If the currently estimated remaining site life is one or more years less than that assumed in the latest long-term care calculations, changes shall be evaluated and proposed to the annual long-term care inpayment required to be made by owners using escrow accounts, trusts or deposits with the department to provide proof of financial responsibility for long-term care. (c) Plan view drawings or sketches documenting each leachate collection line cleaning and leachate transfer line pressure testing event. Separate drawings or sketches shall be submitted for each event, with each drawing using as a base the landfill’s entire leachate collection and transfer piping system. If legibility is not compromised, these drawings may be 11-inch by 18-inch pull-out drawings. (d) For landfills which have not been required to begin a formal ch. NR 140 investigation, but which have experienced over the past 3 year reporting period: an ES exceedance; more than 2 PAL exceedances for the same parameter at the same well; or results where the average of all data for a parameter at a well exceeds a PAL, a summary of all groundwater data collected to date for the well or wells which have experienced the results presented graphically using either time versus concentration graphs or box plots. (e) An evaluation of the performance of the leachate collection and removal system that shall include graphed results of monthly leachate removal volumes from the beginning of filling at the landfill to the end of the current calendar year. Leachate volume data shall be graphed separately for each leachate collection tank or lift station. Leachate removal volumes shall also be graphed as a depth over the area of liner that has been constructed at a given point in time. Graphs shall note when each phase or portion thereof was constructed or closed. Monthly leachate data shall be annualized by multiplying by 12 and reported in units of inches per year. All leachate quality data for BOD, including that regularly performed at the request of wastewater treatment facilities, shall be presented graphically. Graphs of monthly average BOD in mg/l shall be presented as well as pounds of BOD removed per month from the facility. Also included shall be a tabulation of all past monthly leachate removal volumes and average BOD concentrations. The department may request that leachate quality data for other parameters be presented graphically. (f) Graphs of leachate head conditions on the liner and trends with time shall be reported. Where lysimeters or gradient control systems are present under the liner, fluid collection quantity and quality data shall also be tabulated. (g) Graphs and tables evaluating the performance of the gas extraction system over the previous 3 years including: the volume of gas removed and average methane concentration to be presented on a no less frequent basis than quarterly; the condition of each gas extraction well and identification of any wells which need to be replaced or that have been replaced; a summary of the hours of operation and down time of the gas recovery plant or blower; and a summary of any exceedances of the lower explosive limit of any gasses detected in gas monitoring wells located outside the limits of waste. This information shall also be presented graphically to the extent possible. (h) An evaluation of settlement which the landfill has undergone, and any evidence of surface water ponding, poor drainage, differential settlement, erosion or other disruption of the final cover structure. (i) An evaluation of the integrity of the vegetation on the final covered or interim-covered areas, integrity of the final cover, summary of erosion control efforts, surface stabilization efforts and any evidence of animal intrusion. (j) Where applicable, a summary of the occurrences of liquids in secondary containment systems for leachate drain lines, condensate drain lines, manholes, collection tanks and lift stations and any corrective measures taken or proposed in response to the presence of liquids. (3) Municipal solid waste landfill annual report. The owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill shall prepare and submit an annual report to the department no later than April 30 of each year. The annual report shall, at a minimum, include all of the following information from the previous calendar year: (a) General requirements. 1. At least one plan view drawing clearly annotating all of the following: a. The landfill development and filling status information specified in sub. (2) (a) on a topographic site map depicting all landfill phases. b. All existing environmental monitoring points and systems on a color-coded site map. 2. The compliance certification required under sub. (1) . 3. Copies of random load inspections required under s. NR 506.16 . (b) Windblown debris management. The actions used to minimize windblown debris, including, at a minimum, the dates when wind speeds were greater than or equal to 30 mph at the working face, the dates when the landfill was shut down due to wind, and the dates when windblown debris from the landfill is collected from locations off the landfill property. (c) Special waste and alternative daily cover. 1. Daily mixing ratios of each sludge waste to municipal solid waste as required under s. NR 506.14 (2) (e) , unless the small quantity exemption requirements under s. NR 506.14 (1) are met. 2. Total tonnage of special wastes and tabulation by waste category for each waste type in the special waste plan accepted for disposal the previous calendar year. 3. Physical and chemical characteristic retesting requirements under s. NR 506.09 (3) . 4. Computation of the total volume of all wastes disposed at the landfill and the proportions of special wastes compared to the total volume of landfill filled. 5. Tonnage for each waste used as alternate daily cover or other approved fee-exempt use, the ratio of waste to alternate daily cover by volume or weight, and a discussion of any changes or problems encountered with the use of the wastes within the landfill. (d) Gas extraction system. 1. Results of surface emission monitoring with supporting narrative, a map identifying problem areas, the calibration date for the portable analyzer, and meteorological conditions at the time of inspection, including temperature, barometric pressure trend, average wind speed, wind direction, and sky conditions, if applicable. The report shall describe remedial measures taken to correct areas of landfill methane gas emissions at 500 ppm or more above the background concentration or areas with stressed vegetation or other physical signs of landfill gas emergence. The report shall include construction documentation in accordance with ch. NR 516 for any repairs conducted on the clay or geosynthetic layers of final covered areas. 2. Records of gas extraction system shutdown periods, length of time of each shutdown, and corrective action for the system or individual extraction wells. 3. Any maintenance, cleaning, repair, or replacement of extraction wells, header or lateral lines, gas condensate knock-outs, blower or gas combustion equipment components, or valve assemblies. 4. An assessment of the gas extraction system performance, including liquid levels in the gas extraction wells, the condition of each gas well and identification of any wells that need to be replaced or have been replaced, the quality and quantity of gas and gas condensate produced from the landfill, and the removal of volatile organic compounds and other substances in the gas and gas condensate. Also include a summary of gas wells that experienced liquid head levels covering over 50 percent of the screen and any corrective actions taken. (e) Environmental monitoring. 1. A summary of groundwater sampling results that exceed any approved PAL or ACL or ch. NR 140 PAL or ES when ACLs are not approved, and an assessment of the cause and significance of the exceedances. 2. An assessment of any increasing concentration trends of monitored parameters in groundwater over the past 4 or more sampling events. 3. A groundwater elevation contour map with a summary of any significant change in flow patterns compared to previous flow patterns, unless otherwise approved by the department in writing. 4. A summary of the status and condition of all environmental monitoring devices including all of the following: a. A list of all monitoring devices that did not function properly or were damaged. b. A description of repairs, replacements, or modifications completed to regain function of the monitoring device. 5. A summary of gas monitoring results and any remediation required under s. NR 507.22 (1) (c) . 6. A summary of anticipated significant monitoring device activities for the upcoming year, such as installations or abandonments. (f) Leachate collection and recirculation. 1. The leachate collection line video camera inspection required under s. NR 506.07 (5) (e) or the date the next leachate collection line video camera inspection will occur. 2. Documentation of leachate collection line cleaning and identification of any blockages or impedances within lines required under s. NR 506.07 (5) (f) and (g) . 3. Documentation of monitoring, cleaning, and inspecting leachate storage tanks and their secondary containment systems. 4. Documentation of monitoring or pressure testing leachate transfer lines and manhole secondary containment systems. 5. The annual report for leachate recirculation in accordance with s. NR 506.135 (5) including a summary and tabulation of monitoring required under s. NR 507.215 (1) to (4) , if applicable. 6. The summary report of the removal of any dams or barriers used to separate clean water in a prepared cell from solid waste and leachate as required under s. NR 506.07 (5) (h) . 7. Documentation of any changes or renewals of leachate treatment agreements with wastewater treatment facilities. (g) Organic stability. 1. An evaluation of the performance and a report of the implemented landfill organic stability plan required under s. NR 514.07 (9) (d) . 2. Every 5 years, a report describing the evaluation of the plan and likelihood that the plan will enable the landfill to reach the organic stability goals, as required under s. NR 514.07 (9) (e) . The report shall state when the next 5-year report is due. (h) Research, development, and demonstration. The annual report required under s. NR 514.10 (1) (f) , in accordance with the approved research, development, and demonstration plan, if applicable. (i) Surface water controls and final cover maintenance.