Section 817.417  Waste Placement

a)         Phasing of operations:

1)         Waste disposal operations shall move from the lowest portions of the unit to the highest portions.  Except as provided in subsection (a)(2) of this Section, the placement of waste shall begin in the lowest part of the active face of the unit, located in the part of the facility most downgradient with respect to groundwater flow.

2)         The operator may dispose of wastes in areas other than those specified in subsection (a)(1) above only under any of the following conditions:

A)        Climatic conditions, such as wind and precipitation, are such that the placement of waste in the bottom of the unit would cause water pollution, litter, damage to any part of the liner or damage to equipment;

B)        The topography of the land surrounding the unit makes the procedure of subsection (a)(1) environmentally unsound, for example, because steep slopes surround the unit;

C)        When groundwater monitoring wells, constructed in accordance with the requirements of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 811.319, are placed 50 feet or less down gradient from the filled portions of the unit; or

D)        Equipment required for placement is temporarily unavailable.

b)         Initial waste placement:

1)         Construction, compaction and earth moving equipment shall be prohibited from operating directly on the leachate collection piping system until a minimum of five feet of waste has been placed over system.

2)         Construction, compaction and earth moving equipment shall be prohibited from operating directly on the leachate drainage blanket.  Waste disposal operations shall begin at the edge of the drainage layer by carefully pushing waste out over the drainage layer.

3)         An initial layer of waste, a minimum of five feet thick, shall be placed over the entire liner as soon as is practicable after construction, but prior to the onset of weather conditions that may cause the compacted earth liner to freeze.

4)         Waste shall not be placed over areas that are subject to freezing conditions until the liner has been inspected, tested, and reconstructed (if necessary) to meet the requirement of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 811.306.