Introduction The following discussion will provide a brief analysis of United States environmental laws in multiple categories. After six categories are reviewed, an additional environmental law will be discussed, including the positive and negative impacts of this law. International environmental agreements will also be discussed, especially in terms of how
Alternative covers are beneficial to the environment when the construction and design can undergo a natural rehabilitation process. Since conventional clay covers are the most common landfill cover utilized, engineers may not want to take risks in overseeing landfill covers that are designed to take advantage of the evapotranspiration process
This study demonstrates that EPA regulations for post-closure conventional landfill covers are effective in preventing leachate. This conclusion is derived from the success rate of the landfill Superfund sites in the four case studies. There was one closed landfill in this study that presented a concerning issue with the integrity
There were no potential leachate breaches of conventional covers identified in this case study. However, two of the landfills had solar farms built directly over the landfill cover (EPA Region 1, 2020c; EPA Region 2, 2020c). The New Jersey landfill had 42,000 solar panels (EPA Region 2, 2020c). The
The H.O.D. Landfill Superfund site in Illinois has a small possibility of a breach in the cover. The EPA was unable to fully determine why leachate had increased in some of the monitoring wells, suggesting that there could be blockages in the underground system, that the groundwater did
There were no potential leachate breaches of conventional covers identified in this case study. © 2025 Aesthetics and Natural Land Restoration™. All Rights Reserved. Back to Table of Contents Back to Case Study #1 Forward to Case Study #3
The Kummer Sanitary Landfill Superfund site in Minnesota demands a closer analysis due to a lack of proper documentation of the source of leachate contamination in local groundwater. Although new water wells were constructed to tap into uncontaminated groundwater for 198 nearby homes and businesses, the most recent EPA review
Code §258.61 of the eCFR (2021) requires landfills to be monitored for 30 years after the landfill has closed. The results of the case studies demonstrate that without the efforts of maintaining the integrity of the conventional covers, then the EPA will advise the parties responsible for the sites
Based upon the data collection of EPA analysis of landfill covers, the following discussion includes: 1) the effectiveness of EPA regulations for post-closure conventional landfill covers to prevent leachate contamination at landfill Superfund sites; 2) the effectiveness of alternative covers used in landfill Superfund sites to prevent leachate contamination; 3)
Table 1. Data of EPA Inspections of 10 Landfill Superfund Sites Around the 30-year Review Mark. Table 2. Data of EPA Inspections of 10 Landfill Superfund Sites Around the 25-year Review Mark. Table 3. Data of EPA Inspections of 10 Landfill Superfund Sites Around the 20-year Review Mark. Table 4.
This case study consisted of 10 landfill Superfund sites that had undergone the third five-year EPA review for a total of 15+ years each per landfill having been listed as a Superfund site. Table 4 shows that the approximate dates that construction of the landfill covers was completed have a
This case study consisted of 10 landfill Superfund sites that had undergone the fourth five-year EPA review for a total of 20+ years each per landfill having been listed as a Superfund site. Table 3 shows that the approximate dates that construction of the landfill covers were completed have a