Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 9, September 27, 2024
(a)
During construction and installation, liners [except in the case of existing
portions of surface impoundments exempt from Section264.221(a)(a)] and cover
systems (e.g., membranes, sheets, or coatings) must be inspected for
uniformity, damage, and imperfections (e.g., holes, cracks, thin spots, or
foreign materials). Immediately after construction or installation:
(1) Synthetic liners and covers must be
inspected to ensure tight seams and joints and the absence of tears, punctures,
or blisters; and,
(2) Soil-based
and admixed liners and covers must be inspected for imperfections including
lenses, cracks, channels, root holes, or other structural non-uniformities that
may cause an increase in the permeability of the liner or cover.
(b) While a surface impoundment is
in operation, it must be inspected weekly and after storms to detect evidence
of any of the following:
(1) Deterioration,
malfunctions, or improper operation of overtopping control systems;
(2) Sudden drops in the level of the
impoundment's contents; and
(3)
Severe erosion or other signs of deterioration in dikes or other containment
devices.
(c) Prior to
the issuance of a permit, and after any extended period of time (at least six
months) during which the impoundment was not in service, the owner or operator
must obtain a certification from a registered engineer that the impoundment's
dike, including that portion of any dike which provides freeboard, has
structural integrity. The certification must establish, in particular, that the
dike:
(1) Will withstand the stress of the
pressure exerted by the types and amounts of wastes to be placed in the
impoundment; and
(2) Will not fail
due to scouring or piping, without dependence on any liner system included in
the surface impoundment construction.
(d)
(1) An
owner or operator required to have a leak detection system under 264.221 (c) or
(d) must record the amount of liquids removed from each leak detection system
sump at least once each week during the active life and closure
period.
(2) After the final cover
is installed, the amount of liquids removed from each leak detection system
sump must be recorded at least monthly. If the liquid level in the sump stays
below the pump operating level for two consecutive months, the amount of
liquids in the sumps must be recorded at least quarterly. If the liquid level
in the sump stays below the pump operating level for two consecutive quarters,
the amount of liquids in the sumps must be recorded at least semi-annually. If
at any time during the post-closure care period the pump operating level is
exceeded at units on quarterly or semi-annual recording schedules, the owner or
operator must return to monthly recording of amounts of liquids removed from
each sump until the liquid level again stays below the pump operating level for
two consecutive months.
(3) "Pump
operating level" is a liquid level proposed by the owner or operator and
approved by the Department based on pump activation level, sump dimensions, and
level that avoids backup into the drainage layer and minimizes head in the
sump.
