New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE
Chapter 15 - OIL AND GAS
Part 36 - SURFACE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Section 19.15.36.14 - SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO LANDFILLS

Universal Citation: 19 NM Admin Code 19.15.36.14

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024

A. General operating requirements.

(1) The operator shall confine the landfill's working face to the smallest practical area and compact the oil field waste to the smallest practical volume. The operator shall not use equipment that may damage the integrity of the liner system in direct contact with a geosynthetic liner.

(2) The operator shall prevent unauthorized access by the public and entry by large animals to the landfill's active portion through the use of fences, gates, locks or other means that attain equivalent protection.

(3) The operator shall prevent and extinguish fires.

(4) The operator shall control litter and odors.

(5) The operator shall not excavate a closed cell or allow others to excavate a closed cell except as approved by the division.

(6) The operator shall provide adequate cover for the landfill's active face as needed to control dust, debris, odors or other nuisances, or as otherwise required by the division.

(7) For areas of the landfill that will not receive additional oil field waste for one month or more, but have not reached the final waste elevation, the operator shall provide intermediate cover that shall be:
(a) approved by the division;

(b) stabilized with vegetation; and

(c) inspected and maintained to prevent erosion and manage infiltration or leachate during the oil field waste deposition process.

(8) When the operator has filled a landfill cell, the operator shall close it pursuant to the conditions contained in the surface waste management facility permit and the requirements of Paragraph (2) of Subsection C of 19.15.36.18 NMAC. The operator shall notify the division's environmental bureau at least three working days prior to a landfill cell's closure.

B. Ground water monitoring program. If fresh ground water exists at a site, the operator shall, unless otherwise approved by the division, establish a ground water monitoring program, approved by the division's environmental bureau, which shall include a ground water monitoring work plan, a sampling and analysis plan, a ground water monitoring system and a plan for reporting ground water monitoring results. The ground water monitoring system shall consist of a sufficient number of wells, installed at appropriate locations and depths, to yield ground water samples from the uppermost aquifer that:

(1) represent the quality of background ground water that leakage from a landfill has not affected; and

(2) represent the quality of ground water passing beneath and down gradient of the surface waste management facility.

C. Landfill design specification. New landfill design systems shall include a base layer and a lower geomembrane liner (e.g., composite liner), a leak detection system, an upper geomembrane liner, a leachate collection and removal system, a leachate collection and removal system protective layer, an oil field waste zone and a top landfill cover.

(1) The base layer shall, at a minimum, consist of two feet of clay soil compacted to a minimum ninety percent standard proctor density (ASTM D-698)(Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. This document is available for public viewing at the New Mexico state records center and archives and may not be reproduced, in full or in part. A copy of this publication may be obtained from ASTM International, www.astm.org.) with a hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-7 cm/sec or less. In areas where no ground water is present, the operator may propose an alternative base layer design, subject to division approval.

(2) The lower geomembrane liner shall consist of a 30-mil flexible PVC or 60-mil HDPE liner, or an equivalent liner approved by the division.

(3) The operator shall place the leak detection system, which shall consist of two feet of compacted soil with a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-5 cm/sec or greater, between the lower and upper geomembrane liners. The leak detection system shall consist of a drainage and collection system placed no more than six inches above the lower geomembrane liner in depressions and sloped so as to facilitate the earliest possible leak detection at designated collection points. Drainage piping shall be designed to withstand chemical attack from oil field waste and leachate and structural loading and other stresses and disturbances from overlying oil field waste, cover materials, equipment operation, expansion or contraction, and to facilitate clean-out maintenance. The material placed between the pipes and laterals shall be sufficiently permeable to allow the transport of fluids to the drainage pipe. The slope of the landfill sub-grade and drainage pipes and laterals shall be at least two percent grade; i.e., two feet of vertical drop per 100 horizontal feet. The piping collection network shall be comprised of solid and perforated pipe having a minimum diameter of four inches and a minimum wall thickness of schedule 80. The operator shall seal a solid drainage pipe to convey collected liquids to a corrosion-proof sump or sumps located outside the landfill's perimeter for observation, storage, treatment or disposal. The operator may install alternative designs as approved by the division.

(4) The operator shall place the upper geomembrane liner, which shall consist of a 30-mil flexible PVC or 60-mil HDPE liner, or an equivalent liner approved by the division, over the leak detection system.

(5) The operator shall place the leachate collection and removal system, which shall consist of at least two feet of compacted soil with a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-2 cm/sec or greater, over the upper geomembrane liner to facilitate drainage. The leachate collection and removal system shall consist of a drainage and collection and removal system placed no more than six inches above the upper geomembrane liner in depressions and sloped so as to facilitate the maximum leachate collection. Piping shall be designed to withstand chemical attack from oil field waste or leachate and structural loading and other stresses and disturbances from overlying oil field waste, cover materials, equipment operation, expansion or contraction and to facilitate clean-out maintenance. The material placed between the pipes and laterals shall be sufficiently permeable to allow the transport of fluids to the drainage pipe. The slope of the upper geomembrane liner and drainage lines and laterals shall be at least two percent grade; i.e., two feet of vertical drop per 100 horizontal feet. The piping collection network shall be comprised of solid and perforated pipe having a minimum diameter of four inches and a minimum wall thickness of schedule 80. The operator shall seal a solid drainage pipe to convey collected fluids outside the landfill's perimeter for storage, treatment and disposal. The operator may install alternative designs as approved by the division.

(6) The operator shall place the leachate collection and removal system protection layer, which shall consist of a soil layer at least one foot thick with a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-2 cm/sec or greater, over the leachate collection and removal system.

(7) The operator shall place oil field waste over the leachate collection and removal system protective layer.

(8) The top landfill cover design shall consist of the following layers (top to bottom): a soil erosion layer composed of at least 12 inches of fertile topsoil re-vegetated in accordance with the post closure provisions of Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph (2) of Subsection C of 19.15.36.18 NMAC; a protection or frost protection layer composed of 12 to 30 inches of native soil; a drainage layer composed of at least 12 inches of sand or gravel with a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10-2 cm/sec or greater and a minimum bottom slope of four percent, a hydraulic barrier-layer-geomembrane (minimum of a 30-mil flexible PVC or 60-mil HDPE liner, or an equivalent liner approved by the division); and a gas vent or foundation layer composed of at least 12 inches of sand or gravel above oil field waste with soils compacted to the minimum eighty percent Standard Proctor Density. The operator shall install the top landfill cover within one year of achieving the final landfill cell waste elevation. The operator shall ensure that the final landfill design elevation of the working face of the oil field waste is achieved in a timely manner with the date recorded in a field construction log. The operator shall also record the date of top landfill cover installation to document the timely installation of top landfill covers. The operator shall provide a minimum of three working days' notice to the division in advance of the top landfill cover's installation to allow the division to witness the top landfill cover's installation.

(9) Alternatively, the operator may propose a performance-based landfill design system using geosynthetics or geocomposites, including geogrids, geonets, geosynthetic clay liners, composite liner systems, etc., when supported by EPA's "hydrologic evaluation of landfill performance" (HELP) model or other division-approved model. The operator shall design the landfill to prevent the "bathtub effect". The bathtub effect occurs when a more permeable cover is placed over a less permeable bottom liner or natural subsoil.

(10) External piping, e.g., leachate collection, leak detection and sump removal systems shall be designed for installation of a sidewall riser pipe. Pipes shall not penetrate the liner with the exception of gas vent or collection wells where the operator shall install a flexible clamped pipe riser through the top landfill cover liner that will accommodate oil field waste settling and will prevent tears.

D. Liner specifications and requirements.

(1) General requirements.
(a) Geomembrane liner specifications. Geomembrane liners shall consist of a 30-mil flexible PVC or 60-mil HDPE liner, or an equivalent liner approved by the division. Geomembrane liners shall have a hydraulic conductivity no greater than 1 x 10-9 cm/sec. Geomembrane liners shall be composed of impervious, geosynthetic material that is resistant to petroleum hydrocarbons, salts and acidic and alkaline solutions. Liners shall also be resistant to ultraviolet light, or the operator shall make provisions to protect the material from sunlight. Liner compatibility shall comply with EPA SW-846 method 9090A.

(b) Liners shall be able to withstand projected loading stresses, settling and disturbances from overlying oil field waste, cover materials and equipment operations.

(c) The operator shall construct liners with a minimum of two percent slope to promote positive drainage and to facilitate leachate collection and leak detection.

(2) Additional requirements for geomembranes.
(a) Geomembranes shall be compatible with the oil field waste to be disposed. Geomembranes shall be resistant to chemical attack from the oil field waste or leachate. The operator shall demonstrate this by means of the manufacturer's test reports, laboratory analyses or other division-approved method.

(b) Geosynthetic material the operator installs on a slope greater than twenty-five percent shall be designed to withstand the calculated tensile forces acting upon the material. The design shall consider the maximum friction angle of the geosynthetic with regard to a soil-geosynthetic or geosynthetic-geosynthetic interface and shall ensure that overall slope stability is maintained.

(c) The operator shall thermally seal (hot wedge) field seams in geosynthetic material with a double track weld to create an air pocket for non-destructive air channel testing. In areas where double-track welding cannot be achieved, the operator may propose alternative thermal seaming methods. A stabilized air pressure of 35psi, plus or minus one percent, shall be maintained for at least five minutes. The operator shall overlap liners four to six inches before seaming, and shall orient seams parallel to the line of maximum slope; i.e., oriented along, not across, the slope. The operator shall minimize the number of field seams in corners and irregularly shaped areas. The operator shall use factory seams whenever possible. The operator shall not install horizontal seams within five feet of the slope's toe. Qualified personnel shall perform all field seaming.

E. Requirements for the soil component of composite liners.

(1) The operator shall place and compact the base layer to ninety percent standard proctor density on a prepared sub-grade.

(2) The soil surface upon which the operator installs a geosynthetic shall be free of stones greater than one half inch in any dimension, organic matter, local irregularities, protrusions, loose soil and abrupt changes in grade that could damage the geosynthetic.

(3) The operator shall compact a clay soil component of a composite liner to a minimum of ninety percent standard proctor density, which shall have, unless otherwise approved by the division, a plasticity index greater than ten percent, a liquid limit between twenty-five and fifty percent, a portion of material passing the no. 200 sieve (0.074 mm and less fraction) greater than forty percent by weight; and a clay content greater than eighteen percent by weight.

F. The leachate collection and removal system protective layer and the soil component of the leak detection system shall consist of soil materials that shall be free of organic matter, shall have a portion of material passing the no. 200 sieve no greater than five percent by weight and shall have a uniformity coefficient (Cu) less than 6, where Cu is defined as D60/D10. Geosynthetic materials or geocomposites including geonets and geotextiles, if used as components of the leachate collection and removal or leak detection system, shall have a hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity and chemical and physical qualities that oil field waste placement, equipment operation or leachate generation will not adversely affect. These geosynthetics or geocomposites, if used in conjunction with the soil protective cover for liners, shall have a hydraulic conductivity designed to ensure that the liner's hydraulic head never exceeds one foot.

G. Landfill gas control systems. If the gas safety management plan or requirements of other federal, state or local agencies require the installation of a gas control system at a landfill, the operator shall submit a plan for division approval, which shall include the following:

(1) the system's design, indicating the location and design of vents, barriers, collection piping and manifolds and other control measures that the operator will install (gas vent or collection wells shall incorporate a clamped and seamed pipe riser design through the top cover liner);

(2) if gas recovery is proposed, the design of the proposed gas recovery system and the system's major on-site components, including storage, transportation, processing, treatment or disposal measures required in the management of generated gases, condensates or other residues;

(3) if gas processing is proposed, a processing plan designed in a manner that does not interfere or conflict with the activities on the site or required control measures or create or cause danger to persons or property;

(4) if gas disposal is proposed, a disposal plan designed:
(a) in a manner that does not interfere or conflict with the activities on the site or with required control measures;

(b) so as not to create or cause danger to persons or property; and

(c) with active forced ventilation, using vents located at least one foot above the landfill surface at each gas vent's location;

(5) physical and chemical characterization of condensates or residues that are generated and a plan for their disposal;

(6) means that the operator will implement to prevent gas' generation and lateral migration such that:
(a) the concentration of the gases the landfill generates does not exceed twenty-five percent of the lower explosive limit for gases in surface waste management facility structures (excluding gas control or recovery system components); and

(b) the concentration of gases does not exceed the lower explosive limit for gases at the surface waste management facility boundary; and

(7) a routine gas monitoring program providing for monitoring at least quarterly; the specific type and frequency of monitoring to be determined based on the following:
(a) soil conditions;

(b) the hydrogeologic and hydraulic conditions surrounding the surface waste management facility; and

(c) the location of surface waste management facility structures and property lines.

H. Landfill gas response. If gas levels exceed the limits specified in Paragraph (6) of Subsection G of 19.15.36.14 NMAC, the operator shall:

(1) immediately take all necessary steps to ensure protection of fresh water, public health and the environment and notify the division;

(2) within seven days of detection, record gas levels detected and a description of the steps taken to protect fresh water, public health and the environment;

(3) within 30 days of detection, submit a remediation plan for gas releases that describes the problem's nature and extent and the proposed remedy; and

(4) within 60 days after division approval, implement the remediation plan and notify the division that the plan has been implemented.

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