Page 322 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

CAT3525_C10.qxd 1/31/2005 12:00 PM Page 293
The Sanitary Landfill 293
hazardous waste and a nonhazardous solid waste. PCBs are regulated under the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA). Commercial or industrial sources of PCBs include:
● Oil and dielectric fluids
● Transformers and other electrical equipment containing dielectric fluids
● Contaminated soil, dredged material, sewage sludge, and other debris from a release of PCBs
● Hydraulic machines

10.4.2 INSPECTIONS
An inspection is a visual observation of incoming waste loads by trained personnel. Ideally, all
loads should be screened; however, it is impractical to inspect all incoming loads. Random
inspections, therefore, are often the only feasible technique to control the receipt of inappropri-
ate wastes. Loads should be inspected prior to disposal at the working face of the landfill unit to
provide the opportunity to refuse the wastes if necessary. Inspections can be conducted on a tip-
ping floor of a transfer station before shipping to the disposal facility. Inspections may also occur
inside the site entrance, at the disposal facility tipping floor, or as a last resort, near the working
face of the landfill unit.
Inspections may be accomplished by tipping the vehicle load in an area designed to contain haz-
ardous wastes. The waste should be spread on to the surface using a front-end loader. Facility per-
sonnel should be trained to identify questionable wastes. Suspicious wastes may be identified by a
number of clues, including:

● Placards or markings indicating hazardous contents
● Presence of sludges or liquids
● Presence of powders or dusts
● Bright or unusual colors of the contents
● Drums or commercial size containers
● Significant chemical odors

The receiving facility must always be aware that containers may arrive at the facility with sus-
picious contents. Only trained personnel should open an unmarked 55 gal drum. OSHA regulations,
as promulgated in 29 CFR 1910, provide clear guidelines as to how to handle and open drums hav-
ing questionable contents. If the waste is deemed acceptable, then it may be transferred to the
working face for disposal.
Testing of questionable wastes should include the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
(TCLP) and other tests for characteristics of hazardous wastes including corrosivity, ignitability,
and reactivity (see Chapter 11). Wastes that are suspected of being hazardous should be handled and
stored as a hazardous waste until a determination is completed. If the operator discovers hazardous
waste while still in the possession of the transporter, the operator can refuse to accept the waste at
the facility. Thus, the waste remains the responsibility of the transporter.
If wastes delivered to and stored at the site are determined to be hazardous, the landfill owner
or operator is now responsible for the management of a hazardous waste. Management includes
requirements for packaging, storage, runoff control, documentation, and other detailed practices. If
the wastes are to be transported from the facility, the waste must be:

● Stored at the landfill in compliance with all requirements of a hazardous waste generator
(see Chapter 12)
● Manifested
● Transported by a licensed transporter (i.e., having a U.S. EPA identification number)
● Shipped to a permitted treatment, storage or disposal (TSD) facility for final disposal