Modular cages provide a flexible solution to contain windblown litter at the source.
By Shannon Harrop
Landfills are ever-changing construction sites where the senses can be overwhelmed by odor, dust, and noise, as well as requiring a heightened sense of awareness with heavy equipment and garbage trucks moving about. Weather conditions can intensify the challenging environment. Blowing winds are common, sometimes as a welcomed cooling factor, but oftentimes as an unrelenting force, sending loose litter airborne from the open working face. This constant siege requires containment, and additional labor reinforcements must be brought in to clean up the unsightly litter. Landfill managers will tell you that a significant amount of labor hours is required to keep landfill litter in check. Not to mention the management time necessary to appease local neighbors who are affected by the uncontrolled litter.
History of Regulatory Control
In the early 1960s, as more industrial waste was generated, there became an awareness that trash disposal needed to be regulated. The onset of consumerism and other factors further exposed the regulatory need, and in 1976, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed. The RCRA established criteria to protect human health and the environment, conserve resources, and reduce waste. The RCRA set standards for landfills and established permitting for their management. In 1991, the EPA codified regulations into Subtitle D of the RCRA.
With Subtitle D, landfill litter control was specifically addressed by聽mandating daily waste cover to control wind-blown litter, as well as odors, fires, and vectors. This regulation requires a minimum of 6 inches of soil, or an approved equivalent alternative daily cover (ADC), to be applied overnight to the exposed working face of the landfill. Common Alternative Daily Cover methods include reusable ballasted geotextile tarps, spray-on cementitious slurries or foam solutions, and thin films, among others. It is up to individual states to develop, implement, and enforce Subtitle D criteria based on a comprehensive waste management plan. The plans often include more stringent requirements than the federal standards, including litter control mitigation with perimeter and targeted fencing.
Litter Control Beyond Daily Cover
Even the best daily cover will not contain all litter because the working face remains uncovered during operational hours. This is when protective litter fencing is necessary to catch the blowing litter, and the fences should be placed as close as possible to the litter source. The working face is constantly evolving and relocating, so permanent fences are not practical. Portable fence modules are an excellent solution because they can be moved easily and realigned as the working face moves and the wind direction changes.
Portable Litter Fence Design
Typical fence modules are usually 20 to 24 feet wide and up to 15 feet high. The structural steel frames are enclosed with strong steel mesh to trap litter within an enclosure. Rugged lifting brackets are built into the frames so that the blade or bucket of landfill heavy equipment, such as a bulldozer or wheel loader, can easily pick up and move the fences to new positions based on daily site conditions. Additional features, such as dual-lift brackets on the front and back, are helpful to reduce the time necessary to engage the fences with heavy equipment. Damage can result to fences that are not equipped with dual-lift brackets, particularly if operators, who sometimes take shortcuts to save time, attempt to rotate the fences by pushing on a corner of the fence. Ultimately, this can damage the fences beyond use.
The steel fences are substantial and designed for durability, weighing up to 3,600 pounds per module. This also keeps the fences solidly positioned when high winds blow against a litter-loaded fence. Outriggers can extend out from the base to resist overturning in winds of up to 65 mph. Straight telescoping outriggers are common but can be difficult to operate over time if not periodically cleaned of dirt, mud and corrosion. An improved design is a pivoting outrigger that can be lubricated. The pivoting outriggers are adjustable and can be dropped below grade, conforming to irregular terrain and crowned surfaces, such as at the top of a lift.
Fence Coatings and Protection
The protective coating applied to the fences is an important consideration. At a minimum, high-quality industrial enamel paint should be applied for basic corrosion resistance. Additional protection should be considered in coastal regions where corrosive saline environments degrade steel more quickly. Hot-dipped galvanizing is the best coating for these environments.
With optimal positioning of portable litter fences being as close as possible to the working face, the fences must be visible to vehicle and equipment operators. For this reason, fences should be painted with high visibility finishes to reduce accidents and equipment damage and even help control traffic patterns.
Targeted Solutions
Modular fences will provide a versatile solution that can be adjusted and scaled to ever-changing landfill plans. Managing litter with portable litter fences at the working face is a practical and targeted solution to reduce costly labor, minimize complaints, and avoid unsightly clutter. | WA
Shannon Harrop is Divisional Vice President for Southwestern Sales Company (Rogers, AR). The company manufactures and markets several landfill working face products under tarpARMOR and other brands including: CommandPOST Spotter Stands, WindARMOR Portable Litter Fences, Tactical Textile ADC Tarps, and tarpARMOR TDS Tarp Deployment Systems.聽For more information, (800) 427-9368, [email protected], or visit .