WHAT IS
PROJECT XL?
SUMMARY OF
THE VIRGINIA
LANDFILLS
PROJECT
SUPERIOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of the
Administrator
[Mail Code 1802)
EPA-100-F-00-040
September 2000
(http://wvnw.epa.gov)
Project XL: Virginia
Landfills
POL
!•'.( XXMO.Vi
IN NO VAT
Project XL, which stands for "excellence and Leadership," is a
national initiative that tests innovative ways of achieving better and more cost-effective
public health and environmental protection. The information and lessons learned from
Project XL are being used to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
in reassessing its current regulatory and policy-setting approaches. Project XL
encourages testing of cleaner, cheaper, and smarter ways to attain environmental
results superior to those achieved under current regulations and policies, in
conjunction with greater accountability to stakeholders. Each project tests new ideas
with the potential for wide application and broad environmental benefits. As of
September 2000, over forty pilot experiments are being implemented and several
additional projects are in various stages of development.
The Virginia Landfills XL project includes two solid waste municipal landfills (SWMLF)
operated by subsidiaries of Waste Management Inc. (WMI): Maplewood Recycling and
Waste Disposal Facility is located in Amelia County, Virginia, approximately 30 miles
southwest of Richmond, and King George County Landfill and Recycling Center is
located approximately 50 miles north-northeast of Richmond. Both landfills accept
municipal solid waste and a small percentage of biodegradable products (e.g.,
construction debris). Through this XL project, the Maplewood and King George
landfills will implement two variations of bioreactor landfill systems and compare the
relative improvement in landfill performance at the two different bioreactor project
sites. In a bioreactor landfill, controlled quantities of liquids are added and circulated
through waste to accelerate the natural biodegradation rate of waste and therefore
decrease the waste stabilization and composting time compared to a conventional
landfill. The Maplewood bioreactor will recirculate liquids (primarily leachate)
generated at the facility. The King George bioreactor will recirculate facility-generated
leachate plus other liquids, such as non-hazardous liquid waste or stormwater. These
activities collectively should decrease emissions of landfill gas, accelerate waste
decomposition, improve leachate quality, and increase the waste capacity of the
existing landfills. The project sponsors - - EPA, Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality, and WMI, expect that the results from this project will help EPA as it considers
whether to revise existing Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
regulations and allow the use of alternative liner systems in SWMFs using leachate
recirculation. The Virginia Landfills Project, EPA's 44'" XL project, was signed on
September 29, 2000.
When implemented, the leachate recirculation/gas recovery landfill approach will
provide superior environmental performance in a number of ways:
• Acceleration of waste decomposition, thus enhancing post-closure conditions and
enhancing groundwater protection;
• Early compliance with Clean Air Act requirements for municipal solid waste
landfills through installation of a gas collection and control system (King George);
• Potential reduction in fugitive emissions of methane and non-methane organic
compounds over the life of the landfill;
• Reduction of potential risk to workers and the community from transport of
collected leachate to the publically owned treatment works via tanker trucks;
• Additional waste capacity and longer life of existing landfills, reducing the need for
new landfill sites; and
• Identification and quantification of performance advantages or limitations of
Page 1
-------
FLEXIBILITY
STAKEHOLDER
INVOLVEMENT
APPROACHES
TO BE TESTED
CONTACTS
FOR ELECTRONIC
INFORMATION
bioreactor techniques
EPA's RCRA Subtitle D regulations currently allow municipal solid waste landfill
leachateto be placed back into the landfill only if the landfill is designed with a
standard composite liner. Maplewood and King George Landfills seek flexibility from
these RCRA regulations to allow them to recirculate leachate over municipal solid
waste landfills constructed with alternative liner systems (both landfills use multiple
synthetic liners).
Stakeholder involvement is essential for the success of this innovative environmental
program. Stakeholder input will help to further develop the project specifics and
evaluate performance. Public meetings were held to inform the general public about
the project and to invite their comments and participation. Stakeholders directly
involved with this project include: WMI; the Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality, who will be responsible for permitting the project; the host community landfill
advisory boards of Amelia County and King George County; and a group of citizens
that reside in the landfills' surrounding neighborhoods. Additional public meetings may
be held during implementation of the agreement based on public interest or as decided
by the participants. Stakeholder input and community goals have been and will
continue to be considered throughout project implementation.
• Will alternate landfill liners provide a superior level of environmental protection
compared to the standard composite landfill liner currently required in regulations?
• What improvements can be derived from comparing the performance of alternative
bioreactor systems proposed by Maplewood and King George?
EPA Region 3:
EPA Headquarters:
State:
Waste Management
Chris Menen
Janet Murray
E. Paul Farrell
James Stenborg
(215) 814-2786
(202) 260.7570
(804) 698-4214
(540)775.3123
More information about the Virginia Landfills XL project, or the Project XL Program, is
available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/proiectxl under "Information on Specific
XL Projects," or via Project XL's Information Line at (202) 260.5754.
Page 2
------- |