Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 500-599 - Environmental Protection - Solid Waste Management
Chapter NR 504 - Landfill Location, Performance, Design And Construction Criteria
Section NR 504.08 - Minimum design and construction criteria for landfill gas extraction systems

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง NR 504.08

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) GENERAL. All landfills accepting wastes with the potential to generate gas shall be designed to prevent the migration of explosive gases generated by the waste fill.

(2) ACTIVE GAS EXTRACTION AND TREATMENT. In order to efficiently collect and combust hazardous air contaminants, all landfills which accept municipal solid waste shall be designed with an active gas recovery system. All gas recovery systems shall include the following design features, unless otherwise approved by the department:

(a) Vertical gas extraction wells shall be proposed throughout the entire landfill with a maximum radius of influence of 150 feet per well and lesser radii proposed for wells located near the perimeter of the landfill. The radii of influence of adjacent wells shall overlap. Alternate well spacings may be proposed if site specific data is obtained through performance of pump tests.

(b) All vertical gas extraction wells shall extend to 10 feet above the leachate collection system and shall be placed in 36 inch diameter boreholes. An exemption may be proposed to allow for placement of gas extraction wells closer to the leachate collection system.

(c) The pipe in the borehole shall be a minimum 6 inch diameter, Schedule 80 polyvinylchloride or an approved alternate.

(d) The lower 2/3 to 3/4 of the pipe in the borehole shall be slotted or perforated pipe.

(e) The backfill around the slotted or perforated pipe in the borehole shall be one to one and 1/2 inch washed stone. The top 10 feet of the borehole shall be sealed.

(f) Each gas extraction well shall have a flow control valve and sampling access port.

(g) The gas header system shall be looped to allow alternative flow paths for the gas.

(h) The minimum slope on the header pipe shall be 2% for pipes over the waste mass.

(i) Polyethylene pipe shall be used for header and lateral pipes.

(j) The sizing of the blower, header and laterals shall ensure that a minimum vacuum of 10 inches water column is available in the header adjacent to those wells located furthest from the blower.

(k) A drip leg or equivalent shall be installed immediately before the blower to separate condensate from gas while preserving the suction at the wells while under maximum operating vacuum.

(l) All condensate transfer piping and gas transfer piping located outside of the limits of waste shall be designed to be fully encased in at least 2 feet of clay, double-cased pipe or by using another approved secondary containment method except for systems with multiple drip legs within the landfill where the bulk of the condensate has been removed.

(m) The system shall be designed to have the ability to collect and treat all condensate, measure volumes and collect samples.

(n) A flare shall be designed to meet the requirements of ch. NR 445.

(3) GAS MONITORING WELLS. A minimum of one gas monitoring well shall be located on each side of the landfill. The wells shall be constructed according to s. NR 507.11.

(4) PASSIVE GAS EXTRACTION SYSTEMS. Landfills which accept only industrial waste or other nonmunicipal solid waste with the potential to generate gas and which do not utilize an active gas extraction system shall be designed with a system which allows gas venting from the entire landfill surface. An analysis shall be performed to determine the spacing needed between gas venting trenches for an effective system and also to ensure that ch. NR 445 limits for hazardous air contaminants will not be exceeded. The system shall be designed with a continuous layer below the capping layer which allows surficial venting from the waste final surface. This layer may be part of the support layer required in s. NR 504.07(3). This layer shall consist of a minimum of one foot of granular soil with a minimum hydraulic conductivity of 1x10-3 cm/sec and a series of flexible, perforated pipes connected to a series of outlets.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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