GEOLOGY AND WASTE DISPOSAL

Dr-Eng. Wawan Budianta, S.T., M.Sc

JENIS BUANGAN/LIMBAH PADAT
• BUANGAN PADAT PERKOTAAN (Municipal Solid
Waste)
– Pemukiman, Komersial, Lahan terbuka, instalasi
pengolahan limbah
• BUANGAN PADAT INDUSTRI
• BUANGAN PADAT B3
(BAHAN BERBAHAYA & BERACUN) 
(Hazardous Solid Waste)
– Buangan Padat RS  Patogenik Solid Waste
– Buangan Padat Industri
General waste hierarchy accepted by
industrialized countries is comprised of the
following order:
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
Reduce
• Recover processes
Reuse
(composting, incineration,..) Recycle
• Disposal/Land-filling Materials Recovery

Energy Recovery
Disposal/Landfill
 Stages in improving landfills
Sanitary Industrial Engineering & operational
landfill waste landfill control measures in place

Site supervised; controls over

wastes accepted/ waste
Semi controlled landfill placement; periodic waste
cover

Dumping kept within

Designated dump designated area; no control
over operation

Open dump No controls

 DISPOSAL OF WASTE TO LANDFILL
• An understanding of GEOLOGY is fundamental to the
management of waste because:
– Wastes and contaminants occur in and travel
through the geologic environment so we need to
understand:
• The nature of this environment
• The transport processes
– Most waste management schemes involve the use
of geologic reservoirs for containment or the use of
geologic process for dilution and dispersal of the
waste.
Landfill Site Selection

Geology of Area

• Porosity & permeability of rock

• Resistance to weathering Impermeable to contain
• Joints & fracture systems in rock leachate & landfill gas

• Dip of rock strata (no dip or synform)

• Free from disturbance (tectonic/subsidence)

Hydrogeology of Area

• Rate of groundwater flow

• Gradient of groundwater flow Reduce groundwater
• Depth to water table contamination from leachate
• Fluctuations of groundwater

Topography of Area

• Existing hole or steep sided quarry A site capable of retaining

waste
What Happens in a Landfill Site?

Rain water dissolves &

reacts chemically &
biologically with waste

Leachate Landfill Gas

 WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?

Modern landfills are

designed to confine the
waste to prevent it from
causing environmental or
health problems.

Daily cover is placed over

the compacted waste each
day to minimise infiltration of
rainwater.
WHAT PROBLEMS DO LANDFILL SITES POSE?

• Groundwater Contamination
• Production of Landfill Gas
• Landfill fires
• Offensive odours
• Litter
• Pests (Vermin, seagulls, flies)
• Increased traffic for duration of infilling
• Long term settlement after completion
 GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

• Groundwater contamination can occur if

leachate leaks into the soils and rock
surrounding a landfill site, eventually
making its way to the water table and
contaminating the groundwater.
• Leachate is formed when water percolates
through solid waste.
• Leachate can be highly toxic.
 PRODUCTION OF LANDFILL GAS

• Landfill gas is produced during the natural

breakdown of biodegradable waste.
• The composition of landfill gas changes
over time.
• The gas from a typical landfill site consists
mostly of methane and carbon dioxide.
 LANDFILL DESIGN
• Modern landfills are designed to minimise
these problems:
– Location
– Landfill Liner
– Compaction of waste
– Daily Cover
– Landfill Cap
– Leachate Management System
– Landfill Gas management System
 LANDFILL LOCATION

• In order to obtain a permit a landfill operator must

first carry out a detailed investigation and prove to
the satisfaction of the planning authority and the EA
that the site:
– is located in a geologically stable area
– is not located on a major aquifer;
– Is not located in a vulnerable area;
– is designed to reduce the risk of damage to the
environment and human health;
– will be monitored regularly for the duration of
operations and aftercare period.
 LANDFILL LINERS

• Landfill Liners are constructed on the base and

sides of a landfill site to prevent leachate from
leaking into the surrounding soils.
• Landfill Liners may be constructed from:
– Compacted Clay
– Bentonite Enhanced Sand
– Geomembrane
– Geotextile Protector
– Dense Asphaltic Concrete (DAC)
– Combination of the above
Cross-section of multiple liner system

Geotextile filter
Stone/ gravel layer
Primary geomembrane
layer
Secondary leachate
Secondary collection layer acts
geomembrane layer as leak detection
Primary and secondary
leachate collection
piping Compacted clay
LANDFILL LINERS
Construction
of compacted
clay liner
LANDFILL LINERS
 LANDFILL LINERS

Installation of Geomembrane Basal Liner

LANDFILL LINERS
Construction of Dense
Asphaltic Concrete Liner
This is a new method of
lining landfills.
The first landfill to be
constructed with this
type of lining system in
the UK is North of
London and was
completed this summer.
LANDFILL LINERS
 LANDFILL OPERATIONS
• Waste is placed in layers approximately 3 m
thick and compacted.
• At the end of each working day
approximately 0.3 m of clay or sand material
is placed on top of the waste to:
– minimise the infiltration of rainwater
– isolate the waste from birds and vermin
– reduce odours
 LANDFILL OPERATIONS
• To prevent wastage and the formation of
layers of weakness within the waste mass
the daily cover is scraped off and re-used
each day.
• Leachate that collects at the base of the
waste mass is collected and re-circulated
into the waste. This:
– increases the rate of decomposition of the
waste and therefore, rate of settlement;
– decreases disposal costs.
 LANDFILL CAP
• Landfill caps placed above the waste after
completion of infilling prevent the
infiltration of rainwater, minimising the
production of leachate.
• Landfill Caps are usually constructed
from:
– Recompacted clay
– Geomembrane
LANDFILL CAP
Construction
of
geomembrane
cap
LANDFILL CAP
 LEACHATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
• Leachate management systems are installed to:
– prevent the accumulation of leachate in the base of
the landfill
– collect, re-circulate and dispose of leachate during
operations and after closure
• They comprise of:
– leachate drainage blanket at base of landfill
– pipes along base and sidewalls of landfill
– wells to monitor and extract the leachate
Site design - leachate control

Drainage pipes in a composite liner system

 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
• Landfill gas management systems are installed to
prevent the build up of gases within the landfill and
to prevent migration of landfill gas through the
underlying strata.
• There are 2 ways landfill gas can be managed:
– passive
– active
 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Passive management systems comprise of

wells with perforated tops to allow the gas to
vent into the atmosphere
• Active management systems involve the
active extraction of the gas.
• The extracted gas can be used to generate
electricity.
Site design - landfill gas management
Gas monitoring by: Gas end uses:
•surface and sub-surface Fuel eg in vehicles, boilers, kilns
monitoring & furnaces
•excavated pits
Power eg gas turbines, diesel
•boreholes and wells engines

Gas components Typical values % Risks

Methane 63.8 Explosion
Carbon dioxide 33.6 Asphyxiation
Nitrogen 2.4
Oxygen 0.16 Fire
Hydrogen 0.05
Other trace gases Toxicity
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Electricity
generating
system
 MONITORING

• Monitoring is carried out before, during, and after

the placement of waste.
• Numerous monitoring wells are constructed
around a landfill site (both upstream and
downstream) to check for contamination.
• Chemical testing is carried out regularly on:
– Groundwater
– Leachate
– Landfill Gas
 SUMMARY
• Landfill sites are not very pleasant!
BUT
• The negative effects can be minimised if:
– they are designed carefully with due
consideration of the geological and
hydrogeological conditions;
– construction works are supervised &
controlled by a qualified engineer;
– they are carefully managed throughout their
operational life and aftercare period.
 Other disposal method
• For hazardous waste

• For nuclear waste

Should Nuclear Waste be Buried
at Yucca Mountain?
 About the Project
• The Yucca Mountain Project has conducted
an extensive scientific effort to determine
whether Yucca Mountain, Nevada is a
suitable site for a deep underground facility
called a repository.

• The purpose is to safely isolate highly

radioactive nuclear waste for at least 10,000
years.
 Yucca Mountain
• located on federal land in southern Nevada

• occupies about 230 square miles (150,000 acres)

of federal land

• No residents live in the area.

• Yucca Mountain is a ridge comprised of layers of

volcanic rock, called “tuff.”

• There are no known natural resources of

commercial value at Yucca Mountain
 Geological Traits of Yucca Mountain

• Dry Climate - less than 7.5 inches of precipitation per year.

• Remoteness - surrounded by thousands of additional acres of land

withdrawn from the public domain (5,470 square miles.)

• Stable Geology -it is highly unlikely that volcanoes, erosion, or other

geologic processes and events would disrupt

• Deep Water Table -The repository will be located about 1,000 feet
above the water table.

• Closed Water Basin - is located in a closed basin, which is an area

completely surrounded by higher land
 Brief History of the Project

• 1982- Congress established a national policy to solve the problem of nuclear

waste disposal. (the Nuclear Waste Policy Act).
• 1983- Nine locations were selected for consideration as potential repository
sites.
• 1987- Congress directed U.S. Department of Energy to study only Yucca
Mountain.
• July 9, 2002- the U.S. Senate cast the final legislative vote approving the
development of a repository at Yucca Mountain.
• July 23, 2002- President Bush signed House Joint Resolution 87, allowing to
build a safe repository.
• The Yucca Mountain Project is currently preparing an application to obtain a
license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 Radiation and Nuclear waste

• The atoms of certain heavy elements like uranium

and plutonium emit a type of high-powered energy
called “ionizing radiation.” Ionizing radiation has
enough energy to change the structure of the
atoms it collides with.
• An atom that emits ionizing radiation is described
as “radioactive.”
• Spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive
waste will be placed at Yucca Mountain in solid
form such as metals, ceramics, and glass with
small amounts of radioactive gases.
 Nuclear Waste
• Spent Nuclear Fuel

Spent nuclear fuel is used fuel from nuclear reactors at commercial power plants, research reactors,
government facilities, and from Navy vessels.

To make electricity, nuclear reactors use fuel made of solid ceramic pellets of enriched uranium that
are sealed in strong metal tubes.

After three or four years in a reactor, however, the uranium pellets are no longer efficient for producing
electricity and the assembly is removed from the reactor. After removal, the entire assembly (now
called spent nuclear fuel) is highly radioactive.

 High-Level Radioactive Waste

With the end of the Cold War, the United States has been working to close and clean up obsolete
weapons plants and dispose of nuclear weapons materials. This has created a need to dispose of highly
radioactive material associated with weapons production. This material is called high-level radioactive
waste.

Until the late 1970s, the United States acquired materials for nuclear weapons by reprocessing spent
nuclear fuel from government-owned nuclear reactors. Reprocessing is a method of chemically treating
spent fuel to separate out uranium and plutonium. The byproduct of reprocessing is a highly radioactive
sludge-like residue.
 The Repository Concept
• A geologic repository is required to keep nuclear
waste away for 10,000 years.
• If the waste stays in solid form and remains
deep underground, it is not harmful because
layers of rock will shield its radiation.
• However, if enough water contacted the waste,
over time it could break it down into tiny
radioactive particles and then carry the particles
into the environment.
• The concept for a repository at Yucca Mountain
is to seal the waste in extremely durable
containers called waste packages, then place
the containers in deep underground tunnels.
 How the Site is Designed
• The waste will be sealed in containers called
waste packages, then place the containers in
deep underground tunnels.
• Drip shields made of another corrosion resistant
metal will be placed over the waste packages.
• About one thousand feet of solid rock will be
above the repository to restrict the amount of
water that could reach the tunnels.
• The drip shields and corrosion-resistant waste
packages would protect and contain the waste.
SELESAI