18-Env-A6 Solid Waste Engineering and Management · May 2016
Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)
Reference texts: Tchobanoglous, Theisen & Vigil, Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues; Vesilind, Worrell & Reinhart, Solid Waste Engineering; Davis & Cornwell, Introduction to Environmental Engineering (6th ed.); CCME, Guidance Document on Landfill Gas Management; Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.
(1) Leachate generation and the resulting risk of groundwater and surface-water contamination should the liner and collection system be inadequate or eventually fail. (2) Landfill gas generation — methane migration poses an explosion/fire hazard and, together with the accompanying CO2, is a significant greenhouse-gas source if not collected and controlled. (3) Land consumption and siting difficulty — suitable sites with adequate buffer distance and favourable hydrogeology are increasingly scarce near growing urban centres, and public opposition frequently lengthens or derails the permitting process. (4) Long-term environmental liability — post-closure monitoring, cap maintenance and financial-assurance obligations continue for decades after a site stops accepting waste and generating tipping-fee revenue.
