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Landfill Reclamation. Neil Wilson. Landfills. Often in rural areas; city landfill reclamation can be relatively more rewarding Fresh Kills, Staten Island, NY 2,200 acres. Landfill Reclamation. Use of term ‘reclamation’ Major motives Recovery, processing and resale of material - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Landfill Reclamation
Neil Wilson
Landfills Often in rural areas; city landfill reclamation can
be relatively more rewarding Fresh Kills, Staten Island, NY 2,200 acres
Landfill Reclamation Use of term ‘reclamation’ Major motives
Recovery, processing and resale of material Reduce landfill footprint Recovery of space
Landfill Reclamation
Excavation- actual mining of the site, removing waste and separating materials Soil and compost, metals, plastics, glass Combustible fuel, methane Can be expensive to process to market quality
Much rarer for an attempted restoration to a productive ecosystem
Challenges Subsidence
Hazardous waste
Gases and leachate
Old landfill designs
Potential Goals ‘Garden’ or cultivated sense is common, e.g. city
park, passive recreation; nature conservation. ‘Useful space’
Using adjacent habitats as reference sites, to reach for as much connectivity as possible
Restoring a site to historical conditions may only be worth it when: very specific past ecological role small densely populated region
Techniques Establishing cap/ground stability and a thick soil
layer are crucial Establishing trees on cap was considered a bad idea
Rupture cap Dry out cap Gas, leachate, high temp Roots are not as effective or penetrating as thought
Major barriers to plant growth Compaction: preplanting aeration/tilling very beneficial Landform: natural drainage, minimize waterlogging Soil depth: 1.5 m at least for clay caps
Natural Restoration Return some semblance of natural process;
idea of eliminating limiting factors, or ‘guiding’ Connector or green-way between larger natural
areas Natural restoration requires less soil quality,
less topsoil and far less upkeep than agriculture
More flexible landscape design- settlement/poor drainage areas etc become microhabitats, not problem areas; also, easier to accommodate gas recovery systems, etc
Restoration Ecology Unarguably beneficial in terms of ecological,
human interests Economics often limiting factor in restoration
projects- yet in Collier County, FL: 26 acre landfill; 7 year project $300,000 capital expenses $4.5-5 million saved over seven years
Public support is often strong, and community involvement easier to garner
Restoration Ecology
What does landfill reclamation represent? Recycles large amounts of otherwise lost material,
reduces footprint, and provides opportunity to resolve toxicological issues
Parkland or ‘usable space’ is a huge step ahead of brownfield in terms of productivity
Landfill restoration? Returns ecosystem function Can improve ecosystem health, connectivity;
develop new human connection to the land No historical element
References AS Gregory, A. V. (2003). Effects of amendments on soil
structural development in a clay soil-forming material used as a cap for landfill restoration. Environmental Sciences and Pollution Mgmt , 273-276.
Harvard. (1990). Landfill Reclamation Project- Collier County. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Harvard Kennedy School's Government Innovators Network: www.innovations.harvard.edu/awards.html?id=3501
Lazarus, A. (1995). Landfill mining and reclamation- An emerging technology. Environmental Sciences and Pollution Mgmt , 36-39.
Nelson, H. (1995, Vol. 36). Landfill reclamation projects on the rise. BioCycle , 83-84.
Simmons, E. (1999). Restoration of landfill sites for ecological diversity. Waste management and research , 511.