Alternate Caps: If the RDD permit is not obtainable, AE engineers can help justify and design alternative landfill caps that are equivalent to RCRA caps, but can lower capital costs from 20-50% due to elimination of the geomembrane liner.

Leachate Treatment: At active and closed portions of sites or closed sites, AE has knowledge of new technologies to treat landfill leachate on site with discharge to land and/or surface water more cost-effectively compared to off-site transport and disposal. On-site management methods include treatment wetlands, other low cost biological systems, and a new physical/chemical treatment process. AE can recommend leachate treatment systems that can manage off-site commercial and industrial wastes by slightly increasing the capacity of the leachate treatment system. These systems also can be leased. The biological process also can generate methane to use in any gas/energy project and ensure that gas curves remain high even after closure of the landfill. The landfill can keep making money after closure with the treatment of off-site liquid wastes. AE also can demonstrate when leachate is stabilized and can be easily treated and managed on site.

Post-Closure Care: AE also can help save post-closure costs and help demonstrate, as allowed in RCRA, that the landfill or components of the landfill (i.e., leachate or gas, etc.) “…are no longer a risk to human health and the environment…” AE has helped create and peer reviewed the EREF Guidance for Post Closure Care termination and co-authored the ITRC team new guidance for termination of PCC and Bioreactor Landfills. AE can review site work books to determine O&M areas that may be over-accrued and provide solid recommendations where cost savings can be realized based on new information in literature and guidance.

Groundwater Monitoring: Groundwater monitoring optimization also is offered AE by evaluating the total system costs from well design and maintenance, sampling methods, data evaluation, reporting and data management. AE can check existing systems to determine if there are redundant wells or wells not properly located in the downgradient flowpath from the landfill facility. Optimum sampling methods and equipment can be recommended that lower costs, such as micro-purging, and increase data quality. Alternate parameters also can be justified by understanding the behavior of the potential source (leachate) and when the source is stabilized, substantial reductions in analytes can be justified now and into the post-closure care period of the landfill. Combining savings in monitoring costs in the active life of the landfill could add up to many $100,000 in post-closure care costs.

Assessment and Corrective Action: Groundwater assessment and corrective action technologies also can be reviewed and implemented at sites. AE uses innovative technologies for reducing costs and evaluates the landfill system in evaluating the best methods of assessing and remediating groundwater contamination. Monitored natural attenuation has been shown to be easily implemented and in most cases is the preferred approach.