25 Pa. Code § 273.234 - Final cover and grading
(a) The
operator shall provide final cover in the following manner:
(1) A cap shall be placed over the entire
surface of each final lift. The following performance standards for the cap
shall be met:
(i) The cap shall have a
permeability less than or equal to the permeability of the primary liner or a
permeability no greater than 1 x 10-7 cm/sec,
whichever is less.
(ii) The cap
shall be resistant to physical and chemical failure.
(iii) The cap shall cover all areas where
waste is disposed.
(2) A
drainage layer capable of transmitting flow and preventing erosion of the soil
layer shall be placed over the cap.
(3) A uniform and compacted layer of soil at
least 2 feet in thickness shall be placed over the drainage layer.
(b) The operator shall place final
cover within 1 year after disposal in the final lift ceases or as soon
thereafter as weather permits, unless the Department, in the permit, allows a
later period based on a demonstration that a later period is necessary to
protect the final cover from differential settlement of waste at the facility.
The Department will not allow a later period unless, at a minimum, delayed
installation will not cause or allow violations of this article, the act or the
environmental protection acts.
(c)
Unless alternative design requirements to meet the performance standards in
subsection (a)(1)(i)-(iii) are approved as part of the permit under §
271.231 (relating to equivalency
review procedure), the cap shall meet the design requirements set forth for
caps in Table 1 in §
273.256(e)
(relating to primary liner) which will not result in a permeability greater
than that of the primary liner.
(d)
The layer of material described in subsection (a)(3) shall meet the following
performance standards. The layer shall:
(1)
Prevent vectors, odors, blowing litter and other nuisances.
(2) Be capable of allowing loaded vehicles to
successfully maneuver over it after placement.
(3) Be capable of controlling
fires.
(4) Be capable of supporting
the germination and propagation of vegetative cover as required by §§
273.235 and
273.236 (relating to revegetation;
and standards for successful revegetation).
(5) Ensure slope
stability.
(e) Unless
alternative design requirements to meet the performance standards in subsection
(d) are approved as part of the permit under §
271.231, the layer of material
described in subsection (a)(3) shall meet the following design requirements:
(1) The cover soil shall fall within the
United States Department of Agriculture textural classes of sandy loam, loam,
sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, loamy sand and silt loam as defined in the
Soil Survey Manual published by the United States Department
of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service (available from the Department or the
Northeast National Technical Center of the Soil Conservation Service, 160 E.
7th Street, Chester, Pennsylvania 19103-6092).
(2) At least 40% by weight of the cover soil
shall be capable of passing through a 2 millimeter, no. 10 mesh
sieve.
(f) The grade of
final slopes shall be designed, installed and maintained to:
(1) Ensure permanent slope
stability.
(2) Control erosion due
to rapid water velocity and other factors.
(3) Allow compaction, seeding and
revegetation of cover material placed on the slopes.
(4) Ensure minimal percolation of
precipitation and surface runoff into the disposal area.
(g) Unless the Department authorizes a
different slope design in the permit based on a demonstration that the
different design can meet the requirements of subsection (f), slopes shall be
designed, installed and maintained as follows:
(1) The grade of the final surface of the
facility may not be less than 3%.
(2) If the Department approves final grades
of more than 15%:
(i) The operator shall
construct a horizontal terrace at least 15 feet wide on the slope for every 25
feet maximum rise in elevations on the slope. The terrace width shall be
measured as the horizontal distance between slope segments.
(ii) The gradient of the terrace shall be 5%
into the landfill.
(iii) Drainage
ditches shall be constructed on each horizontal terrace to convey
flows.
(3) An operator
may not leave final slopes that have a grade exceeding 33%, including slopes
between benched terraces.
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