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Plastic Not An Ugly Word At The New Landfill This WeekPlastic tends to be an ugly word in the environment these days, with much of it used for short-term ‘disposable’ purposes and ending up in landfill. By Latrobe Cuty - 25th February 2009 - Back to News Once in the landfill, most plastics are going to take years if not centuries to break down. Of course some discarded plastic products simply never make it to landfill and instead are carelessly or even deliberately dumped in the environment, where they remain an ongoing problem for the community and wildlife.
However, at Latrobe City’s new Hyland Highway landfill which is rapidly nearing completion, plastic is presently anything but an ugly word, in fact it’s being used to create a landfill that is leading edge technology as far as such facilities go.
Latrobe City’s manager natural environment sustainability, Matthew Peake, said a large plastic membrane, similar to the liner used for a water storage dam is currently being welded together to form an impervious barrier over the one metre of clay that was compacted in recent weeks to create the base profile. The plastic and clay liners are the final backstop that retard any flow of contaminants to the environment.
The massive welded plastic sheet, the size of the Traralgon footy ground, is an impressive sight to see in anyone’s eyes.
"Above the plastic membrane layer, once again plastic comes to the fore as the choice material due to its versatility and long lasting properties. This layer known as ‘geonet’ is a man-made plastic matrix (like a thick open mesh) which allows any fluids to run through, and because the large black plastic base liner is profiled on a slope, any fluids that permeate to the geonet, then flow to the lowest point where they are collected for treatment," Mr Peake explained.
"Above the geonet layer we will install what is termed a ‘geosynthetic clay liner’. This liner is a thin layer of bentonite clay sandwiched between two layers of synthetic material. This clay is less permeable than the lower layer and swells when in contact with water which prevents water movement through the liner.
"A layer of clean aggregate over plastic pipes with small holes in them is the next layer placed on top. This is what we call the ‘primary leachate collection layer’ and this layer will ensure any water that comes into contact with the waste is collected and transported out of the landfill into a storage dam. The storage dam will have a similar liner but with an additional plastic layer installed as the top layer."
Latrobe City mayor, Cr Lisa Price, said he technical design and engineering involved in the ne Highland Highway Landfill is quite complex and far removed from the facilities we have seen constructed in this municipality and across Victoria in the past.
"This is just one of the ways the landfill will mitigate any risks to the environment. The way in which the facility is operated and rehabilitated will be another aspect of this landfill’s life that Latrobe City intends to continue at a best practice standard," Cr Price said.
Work is also well advanced on the Hyland Highway Landfill access road, and the weighbridge being constructed at the Hyland Highway entrance.
"Access to the landfill from the Hyland Highway means that the communities of Traralgon South and Callignee are unaffected by waste traffic movements on their local roads, other than that meeting local needs."
Cr Price said construction of the weighbridge office is nearing completion and installation of the weighbridge components are imminent. "The access road has now been completed and sealed, which is another significant project milestone.
"It’s probably timely to remind the community that the Hyland Highway Landfill is not a transfer station, so there will be no public access. The landfill is for waste that is recovered from the weekly kerbside collection and for commercial operators," Cr Price said.
With current progress, Latrobe City anticipates the new Hyland Highway Landfill will become operational in March.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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