Operation Plan

A site-specific operation plan is an integral part of this Planning Package. This plan is intended to work hand-in-hand with the optimized fill sequence plans. Much of the information provided in the operations plan is used to develop the fill sequence plans. The operation plan addresses the daily operation of the site, including the optimum cell geometry, cover operations, optimum equipment utilization, etc. In essence, the operations plan is the landfill's operations instruction manual.

Equipment Utilization

Each piece of equipment has specific tasks for which it is best suited. Knowing how each machine should be used for optimum performance and minimum cost is a definite concern for landfill managers. Proper equipment utilization is critical, especially when we consider not only the great cost of purchasing a machine, but also that the total lifetime costs for most pieces of equipment will be 3-5 times their purchase price.

Dozer Operations
The dozer is the most versatile machine at the landfill. It can gather, push, spread, and compact refuse and place cover material. Because it works best as a pushing machine, its primary purpose is to move refuse from the tipping area to the active face. At many sites, the efficiency of the dozer is reduced by improper technique or poor scheduling of equipment operators.

Optimum Push Distance
In most cases it is best to keep pushes as short as possible, in order to decrease the dozing costs. The only exception to this is when working off of a wet-weather pad. In this case, a compromise between short pushes (to decrease the dozing costs) and long pushes (to increase the life of the tipping pad) is best. To determine the optimum push distance, both the pad costs and the pushing costs both have to be considered.

Compactor Operations
The compactor should be in charge of cell construction. The compactor operator should determine the type of cell to be constructed, when and where certain loads are pushed, and when the cell has been properly compacted and is ready for finishing and covering. 

To achieve the greatest compaction, garbage must be spread in thin lifts before it can be compacted. Refuse compaction is one of the most important aspects of operating a landfill so the correct technique is vital. In addition to increasing site life, good compaction will reduce the amount of cover needed and make for a cleaner and more efficient operation.

Optimum Density
Though most people would agree that density is important, it is important to keep in mind that there is a point of diminishing return - where additional density is not worth the effort. On one hand, the main cost associated with compacting garbage is the owning and operating cost of the compactor. On the other hand, the obvious benefit associated with compacting garbage is being able to place more garbage into the site's available airspace. As with any cost/benefit analysis, the optimum density is found at the compromise between these two conflicting factors.

Scraper Operations
Scrapers are designed to excavate and transport soil. Because scrapers are the most expensive machine to own and operate at most landfills, it is important that they be able to move quickly and efficiently throughout their hauling cycle.

Maximum Scraper Productivity
At most landfills, the main task for scrapers is to excavate and haul cover soil. The goal is to bring soil from the excavation area to the fill area as quickly and efficiently as possible. The key to increased productivity is not just to work fast, it's to work smart. Determining the optimum payload and minimizing cycle times are important steps toward scraper productivity.

Filling - Cell Construction 

Optimum Cell Geometry
The most efficient cell geometry has maximum volume and minimum surface area. If a cell could be built in any shape, the most efficient shape would be a sphere. In reality, most cells are built to resemble a slanted cube. We have developed a computer program which can determine the cell dimensions that provide maximum volume and minimum surface area for any landfill. The result is a site-specific cell geometry that minimizes cover soil usage.

Segregate Garbage by Type
Building with garbage is similar to building with soil and rock. The larger sizes should go toward the bottom of the fill, and the finer, more workable materials should go toward the surface. Unfortunately, at most sites, the good garbage comes in during the morning and is placed at the bottom of the cell while the bad garbage comes in later and is often all that is left for finishing the surface of the cell. One way to combat this problem is to temporarily stockpile the last few loads of good garbage until the end of the day.

Tasks (dozer pushes, compactor compacts, ...)
The dozer is responsible for pushing the garbage to the compactor. The compactor is responsible for placing the garbage and building the cell. The scraper operator should key off the compactor and the dozer. He should place soil where it is needed for covering, but never without the "OK" of the compactor or finishing dozer.

Cover Operations

Cover soil is used to cover garbage and provide a certain level of protection from disease vectors, litter, and infiltration. In terms of volume to surface area, the larger the cell, the more efficient it becomes. Thus, a larger landfill can typically be more efficient than a smaller site.

Daily Cover
Daily cover helps to stop blowing litter and reduce the number of vectors. It is most easily and efficiently placed on refuse that is well-compacted and trimmed to a smooth finish. Placing cover soil properly is one of the keys to having a well-run landfill. Improperly placed cover soil represents the single greatest waste of airspace at most landfills. Prior to placing each day's garbage, it is usually best to strip all the available soil from the footprint of that day's cell. This stripped soil should be saved to the side of the cell and used for daily cover at the end of the day.

Track-Walk
Track-walking the surface prior to placing soil helps "knit" the surface of the garbage so that less cover soil is lost into the voids in the surface of the garbage. Stripping and reusing previously placed soil is another good way to reduce cover soil usage. Based on tests that we've designed and performed, track-walking can save 1-2 inches of soil. At many sites, track-walking can save 10% or more of the airspace attributed to soil.

Cover with dozer
Once the cell has been properly finished, cover soil should be placed with the dozer. Because of its low ground pressure and excellent blade control, the dozer can cover more efficiently than other types of equipment. There is no universal placement method which works for all types of cover soil. Different soils require different handling techniques.

Cover with ADC
Because of the cost to place daily cover, and the value of airspace which it consumes, many operators use an Alternative Daily Cover (ADC). The savings in soil handling costs and airspace can be significant. Based on tests we have performed, using ADC will reduce the amount of soil required by the equivalent of about 11 inches per day, depending on site-specific conditions.

The Optimum Cover Ratio
When considering the cost to excavate, transport, and place cover soil and the value of airspace, it's obvious that minimizing cover soil usage is important. The optimum cover ratio takes into account the cell slope length and the minimum regulatory requirements. It also includes soil which is "lost" into the voids in the garbage and any soil that can be stripped and reused.

Cover Budget
A cover soil budget is a means of tracking cover soil use. There are five basic steps to controlling cover soil use. First, determine what the site cover soil budget should be based on on-site soil availability, optimum cover ratio, ADC usage, and final cover design depth. Then determine how much cover soil is needed based on cell dimensions and depth of cover soil required. Third, track the amount of soil used each day with a cover soil budget form. Fourth, compile the daily soil records into a "soil checking account" and periodically reconcile this account against the proposed cover soil ratio. Finally, adjust the operation and/or the budget if either one is inaccurate.

In our experience, improper placement of cover soil represents the single greatest waste of airspace and money at most landfills. In fact, most sites use 20-50% more soil than they should. What would even a small reduction in cover soil usage do for your site's bottom line?

Evacuation Techniques

Excavator & Trucks
In recent years, many landfills have begun to use hydraulic excavators and trucks to excavate and haul soil. This is in contrast to the traditional method of using scrapers. Some reasons for the increased popularity of excavators include economics, productivity, and versatility.

Scraper
The scraper has the ability to excavate, haul, and spread soil. It can also do a reasonable job of road grading. However, the scraper may need support equipment for ripping and/or push-loading when working in hard material. In wet soils a scraper may not be able to operate at all. On the other hand, the excavator/truck system is much more versatile when it comes to working in adverse soil conditions. In some cases, the best combination may include both an excavator and a scraper.

Regardless of which system you decide to use, the goal is to move dirt as efficiently and economically as possible. We have the ability and experience to analyze various excavation systems for your landfill. Using computer programs developed by equipment manufacturers or our own program, we can help you to identify the most economical means of excavating soil.

Maintenance
Proper equipment care and maintenance is vital to a well-run landfill. Landfill equipment must be able to function in harsh conditions and yet continue to operate day after day. As an example, consider that over an 8 hour shift, a D8 dozer will intake enough air to cover a football field 12 feet deep. Under normal conditions, this volume of air could contain several pounds of dust. However, just a few ounces of dirt could destroy the engine. Maintenance is not something that is forgotten between oil changes. Instead, the operations plan should set forth specific maintenance standards.

Walk-Around Inspection
To avoid unnecessary equipment downtime, every operator should get into the habit of doing a pre-check. Before mounting the machine, the operator should do a brief walk-around inspection to make sure there are no problems with the machine. We include a detailed walk-around inspection form in the operations plans we prepare. 

Servicing
At some sites the equipment operators service their own machines. A benefit of this is that operators better understand how their machines work. A drawback is that there may be some lost productivity because the operators are not operating during the service time. At other sites the servicing is performed by a mechanic or service technician. The benefit is that a mechanic or service technician is usually very knowledgeable about equipment maintenance. A drawback is the potential communication gap between the operator and the mechanic. We have experience to work with your site's program and can offer suggestions to help you monitor and track the progress of your equipment service program.

Preventative Maintenance Plan
We've all heard the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, in the landfill business when it comes to heavy equipment, "If it ain't serviced, you're gonna fix it." Every landfill operator should have should have an Equipment Maintenance Program with several vital components. First, every landfill should have a complete list of the maintenance required for each piece of equipment and when it should occur. Second, there should be some means of tracking equipment hours so that the mechanics know when servicing should occur. Finally, each piece of equipment should have a complete history of hours, services, repairs, etc. This information can then be used to make decisions about equipment repair and replacement in the future. We have developed our own in-house computer programs to enable us to predict and plan for major repairs.

Safety

Landfill safety is critical. Even seemingly minor accidents can have enormous personal and economic effects. Productivity and efficiency are important, but safety should always be the first concern. We can help your site develop a pro-active approach to safety.

Emergency Response Plans
Landfill emergencies can be broken down into three major categories: accidents, fires, and hazardous material spills. Every landfill should have a complete set of emergency response plans and all employees should be familiar with them. 

Load Checking
Although municipal solid waste landfills normally do not accept hazardous waste, even the most diligent sites may occasionally find some hazardous waste in the waste stream. In an effort to minimize the amount of hazardous material that landfills receive, Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requires landfills to screen loads and check for hazardous material. The regulations are not explicit in terms of the number of loads to check or how to check the loads. Most landfills set their own agenda based on guidelines set by their state.

Safety Meetings
Safety meetings don't have to be boring. They can be a powerful motivational tool and help the entire landfill crew to work safer. Too many safety meetings are boring because they address safety issues that don't apply to landfill work. It is up to the person presenting the safety meeting to make sure that the material is not only applicable and safe, but realistic as well. Let us assist you with developing a series of safety meeting minutes that apply specifically to your site.

Personal Protective Equipment
Sometimes working safe can be as simple as wearing boots or gloves. Other times, it may require a hard hat, dust mask and ear plugs. The decision to use specific pieces of personal protective equipment should be based on the current conditions. We will work with your existing program or help you to develop safety standards that make sense for your site.

Environmental Controls

Litter
Uncontrolled litter can cause major problems with aesthetics as well as the public's perception of whether or not the landfill is safe. Every landfill should work toward minimizing litter. 

Fence Placement
Fences are the most common litter control device. In general, litter fences don't have to be high to function properly. They just need to be placed where they can intercept litter. They also need to be kept clean. As long as there is a flat area for 300-600 feet downwind of the active area, most litter will stay fairly close to the ground. Some of the most effective litter fences consist of a series of four-foot high, poultry netting fences, spaced 40-80 feet apart.

Bird/Vector Control
Landfills should be operated in such a manner so as to ensure that they will not be a haven for rodents and birds. Special attention should be given to proper maintenance of daily, intermediate, and final cover, as well as to proper drainage. Proper placement of daily cover is the best vector control measure. In the event that rodent and bird activity becomes apparent, supplemental vector control measures like trapping or poison may need to be needed.

Setting Standards

The ultimate purpose of developing an operations plan is to set standards. They could be standards for dozing distance, compaction, covering, safety or any other task. With an array of operational and safety standards, a manager could delegate much of the landfill operation through a simple system of checks and balances. Setting standards, based on the optimum method of performing a task, is delegation - pure and simple.

Within the difficult job description of "Landfill Manager", there are probably dozens of tasks which could be delegated. Why not challenge the people under you by giving them the responsibility and authority to handle some of those jobs for you. 

No matter what your needs are in regard to landfill operations plans, we have the experience to help you meet them.