Current through August 26, 2024
(1) REPORT PREPARATION. A report documenting
all aspects of construction shall be prepared for the initial construction of
the landfill; the construction of all subsequent phases or portions thereof;
the construction of any storm water, groundwater, leachate or gas control
structures; the implementation of remedial actions; and the closure of each
major disposal area. Approval of a report which documents the construction of
any portion of the base of a landfill shall be obtained from the department
prior to initiating disposal operations in the newly established area, unless
the department does not issue a determination within 60 days after receiving a
complete submittal, along with the appropriate review and construction
inspection fees specified in ch. NR 520.
(2) QUALITY ASSURANCE. Construction and
closure of all landfills shall comply with the following:
(a) A registered professional engineer or
qualified technician who is directly supervised by a professional engineer
shall be continuously on-site and performing assigned quality assurance duties
throughout the following: placement and testing of the clay component of the
liner and cover systems, installation and testing of the geosynthetic
components of liner and cover systems, all aspects of sump and sideslope riser
construction or penetrations of the sidewall liner, manhole and tank
installation, and placement of the drainage layer or cover soil above the
geosynthetic liner. These personnel shall also be on-site to inspect the
following activities after their completion: temporary and permanent erosion
control measures such as ditches, fencing and sedimentation basins; subbase and
leachate collection line undercut excavation and grading; clay liner surface
preparation and grading, leachate, lysimeter and gas piping prior to their
being covered with soil; piping with tanks, manholes or vaults and installation
of instrumentation and controls; and gas extraction well heads. The department
may require by written approval that a registered professional engineer be
present during other critical construction activities.
(b) With respect to par. (a), substitution of
personnel shall only occur due to substandard performance, vacations or
uncontrollable circumstances such as injury, illness, employee termination or
resignation. However, if necessary in order to provide experienced personnel,
geomembrane installation quality assurance may be performed by a different
registered professional engineer or qualified technician directly supervised by
that registered professional engineer. In no case, however, may the personnel
performing quality assurance for geomembrane installation be employed by the
geomembrane manufacturer, fabricator or installer. Also, where justified by the
size of the construction project, multiple registered professional engineers or
qualified technicians may perform quality assurance work concurrently.
(3) CERTIFICATION. A
certification section shall be included as the first section of any
construction documentation report prepared for the construction or closure of a
portion of a landfill and shall include the following:
(a) The signed certification statement
contained in s.
NR 500.05(4) as well as the seal of all
registered professional engineers who either performed quality assurance work
on the project or supervised qualified technicians who did so.
(b) A table clearly identifying each
registered professional engineer and qualified technician who performed quality
assurance during the construction; which aspects of construction each person
provided on site quality assurance for; the number of days each was present at
the landfill performing quality assurance work; and the total hours each spent
at the site performing quality assurance work. The table shall also clearly
identify the registered professional engineer supervising each qualified
technician.
(c) A second table
identifying who prepared each portion of the construction documentation report
including both narrative and plan sheets.
(d) Separate signed statements by the
registered professional engineers identified in sub. (2) certifying to the best
of their knowledge, information and belief that the construction of each item
identified in the following subdivisions was accomplished in conformance with
the approved plans and all applicable solid waste administrative code
requirements. All observed deviations shall be explicitly noted and discussed
including any changes in materials. This certification may not be construed to
be either an implied or express guarantee or warranty regarding the performance
of the construction documented in this report. No further qualifications to the
certification statement may be made and each statement shall also clearly
identify the personal observations, knowledge or other information on which the
certification is based.
1. The clay component
of a liner or cap. The statement shall specifically address:
a. The quality of clay material used and the
methods utilized in its placement.
b. Connections with previously placed clay
layers.
c. Preparation of leachate
collection trenches, sumps, gas header trenches and any pipe penetrations
through the clay component.
d.
Preparation of the upper portions of the clay component or soil barrier layer
component of a composite-lined or composite-capped landfill for installation of
the geomembrane or GCL, including smoothness of the surface, removal of rocks
and other foreign objects, and repair of the clay or soil barrier layer surface
due to rain, rutting or other damage.
e. Placement of soil or other materials
placed over the composite liner or composite cap.
2. Geomembranes, grids, fabrics, nets and
appurtenances. The statement shall specifically address:
a. Connections with all previously placed
geosynthetics.
b. Placement of
geomembrane in collection trenches, sideslope riser sump areas and other
irregularly shaped areas.
c.
Connections of geomembrane around leachate transfer pipes, gas extraction wells
and any other penetration of the composite liner or composite cap.
d. Removal of geomembrane wrinkles which were
higher than they were wide.
3. Elements of the construction relating to
leachate or storm water routing, collection, storage and transportation as well
as gas extraction systems. The statement shall include but not be limited to:
construction of leachate collection and transfer lines, side slope risers for
leachate pumping, all liner penetrations, collection tanks, manholes, lift
stations, lysimeters, gas extraction system construction and leachate
headwells.
(4) PRECONSTRUCTION MEETINGS. For
composite-lined or composite-capped landfills, a preconstruction meeting shall
be scheduled prior to the initiation of construction for each phase of
construction of the geomembrane component of the liner or cap. The meeting
shall be used to clarify or confirm design changes, acceptability of selected
construction materials and construction concepts or practices required in the
approved plan of operation or identified in the preconstruction report. At a
minimum, the meeting shall include the design engineer, the appropriate
department district and central office staff, the engineer or engineers
responsible for quality assurance of all aspects of construction and the
geomembrane installer.
(5)
PRECONSTRUCTION REPORTS. A preconstruction report shall be prepared for
construction of each phase of a composite liner as well as each phase of a
composite capping layer. The department may also require a preconstruction
report for each phase of construction which utilizes other geosynthetics, or
when other geosynthetic materials are used in significant structural features
of the landfill. The preconstruction report shall be submitted to the
department no later than 15 days prior to each of the preconstruction meetings
for the construction of the geomembrane component of a composite liner or a
composite capping layer. Unless otherwise specified, 3 copies shall be provided
to the appropriate department field office. The preconstruction report shall
include, at a minimum, the following:
(a) Any
revisions and detail diagrams incorporating all changes and instructions
between the owner, the installer and the quality assurance contractor. The
report shall highlight and explain any proposed changes to the information
provided in the plan of operation as specified in s.
NR 514.07(1) (a) and (c) to (h). If, in
the department's opinion, major changes are proposed to previously approved
plans, a plan modification approval will be required. The report shall indicate
the proposed limits of installation and the schedule for
construction.
(b) Identification of
the manufacturer of the geomembrane, GCL and other geosynthetics used in
construction, manufacturer qualifications, technical specifications of the
geomembrane resin and polymer selected, technical specifications for geotextile
and reinforcement of the GCL, bentonite specifications used for manufacture of
the GCL, and results of the manufacturer's quality control tests on the
geomembranes and GCLs supplied to the project. Identification of the fabricator
of geotextiles and other geosynthetics used in site construction, technical
specifications of the products and materials to be used, methods used to bond
the materials together and to connect panels together, installation contractor,
contractor qualifications and on-site supervisory staff. Description of any
contractor-specific storage and material handling procedures, deployment
methods, attachment methods, panel overlaps, patching, procedures for
minimizing bentonite loss in the GCL, and acceptable limits on sub-grade for
geomembrane or GCL, including maximum rut depth, maximum stone size, removal of
gravel cobbles and other debris and limits imposed by weather conditions.
Description of methods to be used to assure the GCL does not become saturated
prior to covering with soil and the procedure that will be followed if the GCL
does become saturated, methods and equipment to be used to place the
geomembrane over the GCL, and the maximum time between deployment of the GCL
and placement of soil cover layers. Description of the selected materials and
source of the sideslope riser pipe, methods proposed to assemble and place the
sideslope riser pipe, and measures to be taken to prevent puncture of the
geomembrane below the sideslope riser pipe and protective drainage
material.
(c) The results of a
shear test conducted, in accordance with ASTM method D5321, on the soils and
geosynthetic materials selected for use in construction of the liner system and
the final cover system. The test shall be conducted using wetted soil and
geomembrane interfaces. The shear test results shall be used to evaluate the
stability of the geomembrane component over the clay component and the drainage
layers and overburden placed on the geomembrane component. For designs which
utilize a GCL, the shear test results shall be used to evaluate the stability
of the geomembrane component over the GCL component and the soil barrier layer
and the drainage layers and overburden placed on the geomembrane component. Wet
unit weights of soils shall be used in analyses. If all soil and geosynthetic
materials to be used are identical to those that were tested for a previous
construction event then the test need not be conducted again. The department
may waive testing of materials which are proposed exclusively for use on liners
or final cover systems with slopes of less than 10%.
(d) A quality control plan which provides all
information specified in s.
NR 514.07(1) (i), as well as
identification of the installation contractor, contractor qualifications and
on-site supervisory staff. Any proposed changes to the quality control plan
contained in a landfill's approved plan of operation shall be highlighted and
explained.
(e) A quality assurance
plan which provides all information specified in s.
NR 514.07(1) (j), as well as
identification of the registered professional engineer and qualified technician
who will be providing quality assurance and a summary of their qualifications
and related work experience.
(6) CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS. The department
may, under s.
289.91, Stats.,
inspect construction projects for the purpose of determining compliance with
ch. 289, Stats., and chs.
NR 500 to
538. The district and central
office staff shall be notified, by telefax, telephone or letter, at least one
week prior to beginning each of the construction events specified by the
department. A fee shall be paid to the department for each required inspection
in accordance with s.
NR 520.04(5). The inspection fees shall
be paid at the time the construction documentation review fee is submitted to
the department.
