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Tour South Wake Landfill
From the Safety of Your Couch!
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Filming the virtual landfill tour in November 2020
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The Wake County Solid Waste Management Division has been providing tours of Wake County landfills for over fifteen years. What started as private requests from local colleges to study the design of landfills has evolved to monthly tours for residents and groups interested in learning what happens to their garbage once it leaves the curb. However, due to the pandemic and the confined space of a tour bus, in-person tours have been suspended until further notice.
The pandemic might have brought about many changes to our pre-COVID lives, but it hasn't stopped the need for landfills or the interest in visiting them. Faced with the ongoing challenges to holding in-person gatherings, we decided if we couldn't invite the residents of Wake County to their local landfill, it was time to bring the landfill to them virtually.
After weeks in production Wake County Waste Management Division staff are pleased to offer a virtual landfill tour experience of the South Wake Landfill. If you are interested in learning how modern day, municipal solid waste landfills are designed and operated in North Carolina, follow this link and visit the South Wake Landfill today!
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Landfill Odor Report Update
New Odor Report Form Results
Since our last newsletter, a lot of progress has been made towards reduction in odor related issues associated with the South Wake Landfill (SWLF). Our consulting team has assisted us with the preparation of the SWLF Odor Management & Control Plan. The plan was presented to the Wake County Board of Commissioners in September, 2020. Since that meeting, we have developed a timeline for implementation and metrics that we will be monitoring on a consistent basis.
These items will be presented to the Board of Commissioners on January 11, 2021 at their Work Session. Some of the items included in the timeline include:
- A construction project to expand landfill gas collection by using horizontal collectors in addition to the traditional wells. These "sacrificial" landfill gas collection facilities will allow for gas collection in areas below the typical working face areas and are expected to help with daily odors. The term sacrificial is used as they don't typically last for long periods of time (a year or two at most) due to their location 10-20 feet below the operation of heavy equipment
- Additional spray odor misting systems
- Construction of a future cell of the landfill with built-in landfill gas well drainage systems
- New techniques in attempting to reduce odors
GFL Environmental has moved the site to a nightly soil cover operation in lieu of use of Posi-shell. This has been done for temporary periods in the past with some reasonable results, but converting to a dirt cover operation each night required the acquisition of large pieces of equipment that took time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. During August, the transition to soil cover each night was put in place and we have seen positive results as shown in the chart below:
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Odor reports from June-Dec, 2020.
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It is important to note, we are not entirely satisfied with the above results. As we've learned many times before, significant rain (which we've had), changes in weather patterns (which we've had), equipment malfunctions, power outages due to weather events, etc. can all adversely impact our efforts, so we will continue to seek and add other measures to minimize odor impacts.
Other items of note are that GFL Environmental has brought on a new site management team, including a new landfill manager, George Metcalf. With experience in managing unusual landfills in the Atlanta and Knoxville areas. George brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to help us minimize odors going forward.
Finally, but certainly not last, is the upcoming outreach efforts, that are starting with a survey. You will note a separate article in this newsletter "We Want to Hear from you". Please take time to complete this survey in order to help us provide you the information you want/need regarding the landfill.
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Landfill Construction Project Complete
Phase 2B Liner System Installed
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Phase 2B, with rain cover.
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Phase 2B, an 18-acre section, of the South Wake Landfill is now ready to receive waste. It took nine months for Baxter Johnson Contracting to finish installing the impermeable liner system for Phase 2B of South Wake Landfill.
With four of nine phases (1A, 1B, 2A & 2B) constructed. The South Wake Landfill is now a teenager, in its thirteenth year of development, with 93 acres out of 179 developed. The landfill operator, GFL Environmental, plans to move all incoming garbage truck traffic over to Phase 2B by spring 2021.
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We Want to Hear From You Communications Survey
Wake County's Solid Waste Management Division and GFL Environmental have launched a survey to collect feedback about what and how we communicate to residents about the activities and progress being made at South Wake Landfill.
We want to know more about what you want to learn - and how you want to hear about it.
We hope you'll spend a few minutes to take the survey, and provide your input. Deadline to participate is February 15, 2021. Thank you in advance!
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