Geoenvironmental approaches in an old municipal waste landfill reclamation process: Expectations vs reality

Abstract

Nowadays, environmental geotechnics and engineering are facing several challenges to be addressed during landfill reclamation works. The purpose of the technical paper is to present examples of reclamation works designed to reduce the soil–water environment impact of an old municipal solid waste landfill and to ensure geotechnical safety. The authors tried to prove that even though the initially designed reclamation works could be difficult to implement and execute, they could bring the desired effect in real conditions. Several technical solutions to re-engineer shape the landfill body and reinforce the slope stability are discussed in the article. Commonly known pollution-reducing methods were also presented and discussed. For many years of operation, a landfill study area was located in difficult hydrogeological conditions, with no systems in place to prevent contamination. Using monitoring and numerical modelling, it has been shown that reclamation works increase the quality of groundwater and improve the conditions for landfill slope stability over time. The study also showed that both vertical barriers and leachate drainage systems can improve the condition of plant communities in landfill surroundings. Accordingly, reclamation works do not fundamentally change the function of a landfill but do limit its negative impacts on the environment, such as reducing the spread of pollutants into soil and water, protecting the slopes from erosion, reducing dust, allowing establishing of new vegetation cover, and improving the visual quality of the landscape. The research proved that expected reclamation results could only be reached if complex approaches and constant monitoring are provided when executing the reclamation works.