Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 020 - Environmental Quality, Dept. of
Sub-Agency 0009 - Solid Waste Management
Chapter 3 - INDUSTRIAL LANDFILL REGULATIONS
Section 3-12 - Closure and Post-Closure Standards

Universal Citation: WY Code of Rules 3-12

Current through September 21, 2024

(a) Commencement of closure: Approved closure activities shall commence no later than thirty days after the facility stops receiving solid wastes and shall be completed within twelve months following commencement of closure activities. The Administrator may approve:

(i) Delayed closure of a facility or unit if the facility or unit has additional remaining disposal capacity, and the owner demonstrates that there will be no threats to human health or the environment from the unclosed facility or unit; and

(ii) Extensions of the closure period if needed to adequately complete closure activities and the owner demonstrates that there will be no threats to human health or the environment from the unclosed facility or unit.

(b) Notification and certification of facility and unit closure: Prior to the commencement of unit and facility closure activities, the operator shall notify the Administrator in writing and place a notice of closure in the operating record. Within ninety days following closure of each unit and facility, the operator shall submit a certification with supporting documentation signed by a Wyoming registered professional engineer that closure has been completed in accordance with the approved closure plan and place a copy of the certification in the facility operating record.

(c) Notice on deed: At facility closure, an instrument that clearly gives notice of the restrictions that apply to future activities on the disposal facility property shall be filed for recording by the registrar of deeds (county clerk) in the county where the facility is located. The wording of such an instrument shall indicate that the property has been used as a solid waste disposal facility. This shall be recorded prior to any property transaction resulting in another use for the property. The owner or operator, and its successors, shall ensure that post-closure use of the property is restricted to prevent any disturbance to the facility's containment system including caps and liners, or the functioning of the facility's monitoring system. The owner or operator may request permission from the Administrator to remove the notation from the deed if all solid wastes are removed from the facility.

(d) Erosion and ponding problems: Facilities shall be engineered to inhibit future problems with erosion or ponding of surface water over filled areas. This may be done through site grading and revegetation, placement of rip rap, or other appropriate means. The application shall describe the method and length of time that surface water will be diverted from the site and the methods by which surface erosion or water ponding problems will be identified and corrected.

(e) Final cover design and construction: At closure, an infiltration barrier layer of subsoil, or a combination of materials as specified in the permit, a minimum of two (2) feet thick shall be constructed over the solid waste or any intermediate cover already in place. This infiltration barrier layer shall be covered with a minimum of six (6) inches of topsoil and graded to prevent erosion or surface water ponding. The infiltration barrier layer shall be constructed to minimize the total amount of moisture and the rate at which moisture infiltrates the final cover system. The Administrator may specify more stringent cover requirements if the Administrator determines that the site poses a significant threat to public health or the environment.

(f) Revegetation: At facility closure, any portion of the facility that has been disturbed by solid waste disposal activities shall be revegetated to minimize wind and water erosion of the final cover, consistent with the post-closure land use. The operator shall use a diverse vegetation mix, selected to be compatible with the climatic conditions, require little maintenance, and have root depths that will not exceed the depth of the final cover.

(g) Surveyed corners: At facility closure, all facility boundary corners shall be surveyed and marked with permanent survey caps.

(h) Access control: Facility fences, gates, and any other access restrictions shall be maintained until the site has been satisfactorily closed and revegetated, if post-closure land use requires establishment of vegetative cover.

(i) Waste containment systems: Waste containment systems, including but not limited to liners, leachate detection, collection and management systems, final cover systems, surface water structures, environmental monitoring systems, and corrective action systems shall be maintained throughout the closure and post-closure periods.

(j) Post-closure period:

(i) The post-closure period for industrial landfills that are required to comply with the groundwater monitoring requirements of Section 9(b)(i) of this Chapter shall extend for a period of not less than thirty years after certification of closure activities is approved by the Administrator. The minimum post-closure period may be terminated by the Administrator at an earlier date if the Administrator determines that the facility has been adequately stabilized and that the environmental monitoring or control systems have demonstrated that the facility closure is protective of public health and the environment consistent with the purposes of the Environmental Quality Act.

(ii) The post-closure period for industrial landfills that are not required to comply with the groundwater monitoring requirements of Section 9(b)(i) of this Chapter shall extend for a period of not less than five years after certification of closure activities is approved by the Administrator.

(iii) Following the initial minimum post-closure period specified in this subsection, the post-closure period shall be automatically extended until such time when the Administrator determines, upon petition by the operator accompanied by submission of relevant information, that the facility has been adequately stabilized in a manner protective of human health and the environment.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wyoming 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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