SUSTAINABLE REDEVLOPMENT OF FORMER AND ABANDONED LANDFILLS LESSONS FROM PRACTICE

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Leslie Anderson
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1 Sardinia th International Waste Management and Landfilling Symposium Cagliari, Italy, 3 October 2007 SUSTAINABLE REDEVLOPMENT OF FORMER AND ABANDONED LANDFILLS LESSONS FROM PRACTICE Edward Kavazanjian, Jr., Ph.D., P.E, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Arizona State University, USA 1

2 Sustainability Benefits of Landfill Redevelopment Environmental Improved Environmental Protection, Ecological Enhancement, Remediation of Impacts Economic Revenue/Resources for Post-Closure Care, Profit for the Developer, Indirect Economic Benefits for the Community Social Preservation of Virgin Sites, Community Amenities, Jobs, Aesthetic Enhancement 2

3 Risks Associated With Landfill Redevelopment Environmental Risk of Adverse Impacts to Human Health or the Environment (Engineering Risks) Financial Excessive Transaction Costs, Poor Financial Return, Litigation (Over Real and Perceived Impacts) Social Loss of Credibility, Abandoned or Stalled Projects 3

4 Types of Redevelopment Sites Self-Developing Economically Advantageous to Develop Cooperative Incentives or Public-Private Pi Partnerships Required to Realize Redevelopment Reserve No tangible economic benefit, or risks outweigh benefits Redevelopment driven by environmental and social benefits 4

5 Engineering for Landfill Redevelopment Governing Axiom of Engineering An engineering solution can be developed for (almost) any (landfill redevelopment) problem with enough time and money 5

6 Key Questions Driving Redevelopment Decisions What ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS are required to achieve ACCEPTABLE RISK? Regulatory Acceptance Community Acceptance Developer Acceptance Mitigate Perceived Risks (Litigation Risk) What acceptable ENGINEERING SOLUTION has the lowest LIFECYCLE COST? What INCENTIVES are required to drive a socially beneficial redevelopment scheme 6

7 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DECISION Hierarchy of Engineering Solutions Incre easing Relia ability Increasi ing Cost tinstitutional tut o a Controls o Barriers (Containment) Treatment t Removal Decreasin ng Long Ter rm Risk Increasi ng Short Te erm Risk Note: Redevelopment can Exacerbate Environmental Risks 7

8 Lessons From Practice Landfill Site Redevelopment Lesson Activity Gff Gaffey Streett Soccer (football) fields Only available site for desired amenity Fresno Nature trails, adjacent Redevelopment bundled sports park with adjacent property OII Big Box retail stores Improved access facilitated redevelopment McColl Nature preserve, golf course Community dictated end use; End user provides maintenance it ASCON Commercial or open space Too risky for residential development 8

9 Gaffey Street Landfill Location 9

10 Gaffey Street Landfill Redevelopment Only available site for park Communication program to ease concerns Low levels of methane in soil Capillary break cover with active gas extraction contingency 10

11 Gaffey Street Capillary Barrier 0.3 m Vegetative Layer 0.9 m Engineered Cover Soil Filter 100-mm Gas Geotextile Venting Pipe Gas Venting Pipe Enables Contingent Active Gas Collection 0.15 m Clean Gravel (Capillary Break) Filter Geotextile Asphalt Grindings (As Needed) d) Existing Cover Soil 11

12 Gaffey Street - Today 12

13 Fresno Landfill Park Master Plan (Dunn, 2005) Landfill bundled with adjacent property to facilitate redevelopment 13

14 Fresno Landfill Aerial View 14

15 Fresno Landfill Sports Park 15

OII Landfill North Parcel Redevelopment North

for redevelopment Only developable parcel left in

residents, $1 million per year in sales tax revenue

16 OII Landfill North Parcel Redevelopment North Parcel Note: South parcel not considered suitable for redevelopment Only developable parcel left in city Big Box retail store provides jobs, service to residents, $1 million per year in sales tax revenue City agreed to provide freeway access, property tax relief 16

17 McColl Site Boundaries of Pits Eleven unlined pits w/ ph = 9 waste Community rejected clean closure, waste stabilization Constructed nature preserve, restored golf course Golf course owner provides maintenance 17

18 McColl Golf Course Cap Geotextiles HDPE Geomembrane Geosynthetic Clay Liner HDPE Geomembrane Backing HDPE Gas Extraction Pipes Reinforcing HDPE Geogrid Vegetative Cover Soil Cobbles Sand Sand Sand Existing Ground Vegetated Layer Intrusion Barrier / Drainage Layer Barrier Layer Gas Collection/ Foundation Sublayer Reinforced Foundation Sublayer Unreinforced Foundation Layer 18

19 McColl Site Today Vertical Barrier (Slurry Wall) Restricted Access Nature Preserve Reinforced Earth Wall Cap Property Line Reinforced Slope Geomembrane Geocell Clay Backfill Cutoff Wall 19

20 McColl Site Post-Remediation 20

21 ASCON Hazardous Waste Site Power plant Ascon Community park on old landfill Elementary School Site Approved for 500 homes at $1 million each Oil companies responsible for cleanup did not own site Waste included drilling mud, styrene pits, other chemical wastes 21

22 ASCON Oil Waste Lagoon 22

23 Allegations of Cancer Cluster Orange County Weekly, Thursday, 25 March 2004 BITTER HARVEST Four Huntington Beach kids have died of a rare disease. They ve found at least two connections between the four cases. One is the Ascon Hazardous Waste Site. 23

24 Community Opposition to Clean Closure Removing the waste: might endanger nearby residents take at least three years Generate enough crud to fill 12,500 toxic- waste-disposal trucks convoy would stretch more than 70 miles 24

25 ASCON Site Current Status Oil companies purchased site from developer No residential development Current redevelopment options include: Waste stabilization and consolidation with capping and commercial development Waste stabilization with capping and golf course 25

26 Conclusions Redevelopment of Former and Abandoned Landfills is a Sustainable Engineering i Practice Environmental Risks Associated with Landfill Redevelopment can Generally be Mitigated by Sound Engineering Redevelopment Costs may Require Incentives, P-P-P for Realization of Project Perceived Risks may Deter Certain Types of Redevelopment 26

27 Acknowledgement Thanks to: Sufalnet: EU Network for Sustainable Use of Former and Abandoned Landfills fl t 27

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