Restoring landfill sites to landscapes
We have 18 closed landfill sites in Kent,
which we monitor for gas build up and pollution. This is a duty
under the
Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The problem is that as the organic waste
buried in landfill rots it can produce methane (a combustible gas
that contributes to climate change) and ‘leachate’ (a toxic liquid)
that can contaminate underground water supplies (aquifers).
We send water samples from our sites
regularly for laboratory testing and we burn build-ups of gas at
flare units on certain sites.
A landfill site
may need monitoring for more than 20 years. During that time, a
restoration plan is produced to stabilise it so in
time it can be used in a new way, for example for recreation
or grazing animals.