Lawrence Bruskin, P.E., Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Based upon his 2014 Landfill Symposium presentation, Lawrence Bruskin will lead attendees through the development and implementation of streamlined guidance for alternative water balance covers which averts the requirement for numerical modeling or instrumented test plots.

This SWANA Webinar will help participants understand the technical basis for the alternative water balance cover guidance developed in the state of Colorado. Due to the many requests and various options proposed by regulated facilities, the Solid Waste Program decided to create guidance for use across the state. The goal was to provide solid waste facilities in Colorado with technically based, cost-effective and straightforward recommendations for the full range of activities required to permit a water balance alternative cover.

Participants will learn how the guidance was developed, as well as the importance of "ecozones" as part of that process. The overall concept was to group the state into areas of relative similarity with respect to climate, topography, and vegetation.

Through the EPA, Office of Research and Development Engineering Technical Support Center, the Colorado HMWMD used an EPA contractor to divide the state into five ecozones and performed numerical modeling using different soil textures and cover thicknesses.

Upon completion of the project, the EPA had an additional report created concerning the techniques used and applicability to other parts of the country. This additional report and its use for other areas will also be addressed in the webinar.

The intention of the guidelines was to eliminate the normally required numerical modeling or instrumented test plots, yet provide technically based, specific requirements to items such as borrow investigation, soil thickness, placement, quality and post-construction maintenance. Through the use modeling and stakeholder input, the guidance was developed for use before, during and after construction.

This online event will not only provide an opportunity to learn about an important development in landfill management in Colorado from one it's engineers, but may also be useful to other states or regions looking to streamline guidance for these covers.