Closure and post-closure plans

for domestic, commercial and industrial waste landfills

Draft rev C—March 2005

This guideline replaces the EPA Guideline 194/03 (September 2003) ‘Closure and post-
closure plans for major landfills’. The aim of this guideline is to provide direction
and consistency for closure and post-closure care of landfill facilities.

Introduction
Development of this revised guideline forms part of the EPA’s review of guidelines for landfill
facilities. It considers important issues arising from the EPA’s experience with preparation and
implementation of closure plans by landfill operators. Suggested measures within this guideline
also consider the classification of landfill types (based on waste disposal and site conditions),
which are outlined in the Guidelines on landfill facilities for domestic, commercial and industrial
solid waste (EPA, Draft rev C, March 2005).
The post-closure aspects in this guideline apply for all future, operating and closed landfill
facilities.
The closure aspects in this guideline apply for:
• future landfill cells at all facilities
• current landfill cells that do not have a closure plan approved by the EPA
• current landfill cells with greater than 12 months to closure
• closed sites where the EPA considers that the closure or post-closure management is, or is
likely to be, inadequate to guard against pollution.

Objectives
The objectives of closure and post-closure plans for landfill facilities are to:
• provide long-term protection of human health and the environment
• minimise the generation and uncontrolled emissions of leachate and landfill gas, which may
have adverse impacts on human health or the environment
• promote responsible land management and ensure that the site closure and post-closure
management are compatible with an appropriate post-closure use of the site
• manage hazards and amenity issues
 Closure and post-closure plans for domestic, commercial and industrial landfills—Draft rev C, March 2005

• promote progressive closure of landfill cells within operating landfill sites

• limit the risk of post-closure maintenance and monitoring beyond the timelines included in this
guideline
• improve systems for monitoring, review and maintenance during post-closure management
• maintain environmental protection measures and monitoring systems until it is demonstrated
that the landfill no longer presents a risk to human health or the environment.

Required outcomes
The required outcomes of closure and post-closure plans for landfill facilities are to:
• prepare a post-closure plan:
- as part of the design and approval process for new landfills and new landfill cells
- within 18 months of the issue of this guideline for operating and closed landfills
• prepare a closure plan for future landfill cells at all facilities; current landfill cells that do not
have a closure plan approved by the EPA; current landfill cells with greater than 18 months to
closure; or closed sites where the EPA considers that the closure or post-closure management
is, or is likely to be, inadequate to guard against pollution
• review and update the closure and post-closure plan at every landfill at intervals of not greater
than two years. The review must consider the results of monitoring and changes in site
conditions, environmental management measures and regulatory requirements.
• design and install a capping system in accordance with the Guideline for capping systems for
landfills for domestic, commercial and industrial wastes (EPA, Draft rev. C, March 2005). This
must provide a stable cover over the waste, safeguard the protected environmental values of
surface water and groundwater, and prevent and manage potential hazards associated with
landfill gas.
• install the landfill cap within 12 months of cell closure
• manage landfill gas in accordance with the Guideline for management strategies for landfill
gas and air quality (EPA, Draft rev. C, March 2005)
• implement the plans including a program of inspections, monitoring, review and continuous
improvement
• plan and implement a program of post-closure management until it is demonstrated that the
landfill no longer presents a risk to the environment or human health.

Suggested measures for closure plans

Plan preparation and approval
The plan should be prepared in accordance with the principles of continuous improvement outlined
in AS/NZS 14001:1996 Environmental Management Systems—specification and guidance for use,
including the cycle of policy, planning, implementation, checking, corrective action and
management review.
Plans will require EPA approval before implementation and must be reviewed by the licensee at
least every two years, as outlined above.
Planning for closure should consider landfill operational issues in the landfill environment
management plan (LEMP) for the site. These include, but are not limited to, landfill cell
development, waste placement and compaction, earthworks materials, and measures to manage
waters and landfill gas. Progressive closure of landfill cells must be carried out within 12 months of
the completion of waste disposal in the cell, unless otherwise approved by the EPA.

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The plan must include a program for implementation (as a Gantt chart or similar format) and a
program of quality assurance and reporting to the EPA.
Landfill operators should make funding provision during landfill operation to cover costs for closure
and post-closure management.

Post-closure use
The proposed post-closure use of the site must be outlined in the closure plan and must consider:
• the landfill location
• surrounding land uses
• consultation with the local community
• relevant regulatory and planning authority strategic plans for acceptable land use
• post-closure management measures and infrastructure, e.g. for management of water issues
and landfill gas
• issues related to land use and land contamination.
Common types of post-closure use include:
• rehabilitation of sites with vegetation but with controlled access and limited public access
• public open space
• ongoing use for waste management, e.g. as a waste transfer station, materials resource
recovery facility (MRRF) or for processing of green waste.
The EPA discourages the construction of water features over the waste site as part of landfill
closure due to the risk of differential settlement, potential water leakage and leachate
generation.
Specialised engineering measures must be included if buildings, roads, water features or utilities
are proposed, and must consider the risk of differential settlement, ground support and hazards
associated with landfill gas.

Final shape (landform)

The final landfill shape must be compatible with the surrounding topography and land uses. It must
consider the post-closure use of the site, stormwater and erosion control, stability, the capping
system, development approval and planning regulations.
The plan must nominate the final height prior to settlement, and proposed surface grades or
contours. The final contours must consider settlement as the waste decomposes, compresses and
consolidates. Steep slopes must be battered with an overall gradient being a maximum of 1
vertical and 3 horizontal, unless an engineering design has been approved to control the long term
stability on steeper batter slopes.

Hazards and loss of amenity

The closure plan must consider hazards and amenity issues that include, but may not be limited to,
the following:
• site access, security, fencing and signage
• occupational health and safety for workers and visitors to the site
• fire
• dust
• odour
• vermin.

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 Closure and post-closure plans for domestic, commercial and industrial landfills—Draft rev C, March 2005

The plan must identify hazards and include management measures for these risks.

Capping system
The landfill must be covered by a capping system that provides a long-term separation layer
between the waste and the final surface, protects human health and the environment, and is
compatible with the intended post-closure use.
Design and construction of the capping system must be undertaken in accordance with the
Guideline for capping systems for landfills for domestic, commercial and industrial wastes (EPA,
Draft rev. C, March 2005)

Stormwater and erosion control

Stormwater management strategies must consider the following:
• management of surface water on site and control and monitoring of off-site stormwater
discharge
• erosion and sediment control along drainage lines, disturbed areas and soil stockpiles. This
includes stormwater flow control, vegetation use, installation of detention ponds, minimal land
disturbance, and other temporary and permanent erosion protection measures.
Management strategies and design criteria for storm events should consider potential receptors of
stormwater and the consequences of uncontrolled discharge, based on site-specific circumstances.
Typical design criteria include, for example, the 1-in-10-year or 1-in-20-year recurrence interval
storm event for design of drainage features; and the 1-in-100-year recurrence interval storm event
to assess the risk of catastrophic events such as failure of detention ponds or flooding of the
landfill area or sensitive facilities or receptors.
Detention ponds should incorporate erosion and flow control measures including erosion resistant
banks, baffles and spillways.
Guidance on stormwater management is presented in the Stormwater pollution prevention code of
practice for the building and construction industry (EPA 1999) and the Stormwater pollution
prevention code of practice for local, state and federal government (EPA 1997).

Landfill gas management

The closure plan must consider management of landfill gas in accordance with the Guideline for
management strategies for landfill gas and air quality (EPA, Draft rev. C, March 2005).

Leachate management
The closure plan and capping design must include measures to limit the generation of leachate. It
should also consider collection, storage and treatment systems to manage the leachate that is
generated. These systems must be designed and operated to prevent odour and pollution of
surface water and groundwater, and minimise human contact with the leachate.
Further guidance on leachate management is presented in the Guideline on leachate containment
and management systems for domestic, commercial and industrial waste landfills (EPA, Draft rev.
C, March 2005)

Termination of waste disposal

The plan must consider measures to provide sufficient notice to users of the site that the landfill
will be closing and will no longer accept waste. Measures will also be required to prevent post-
closure waste disposal or illegal dumping.

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 Closure and post-closure plans for domestic, commercial and industrial landfills—Draft rev C, March 2005

Suggested measures for post-closure management

Post-closure management must be undertaken until there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate to
the EPA that the site is stable and poses only acceptable risks.
Post-closure management must include:
• management of systems to control landfill gas migration or emissions

• management of leachate control systems and remediation of groundwater if it is contaminated

• monitoring and maintenance of environmental protection measures

• monitoring of stormwater, groundwater, leachate and landfill gas.

The minimum duration for post-closure management from closure of the last cell is 25 years. This

length of time may be shorter if there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate to the EPA that the

site is stable and poses only acceptable risks. Conversely, a longer duration may be required if the
site poses unacceptable environmental risks.
Preparation of the inspection, monitoring and maintenance program for post-closure management
must consider:
• site characteristics gathered from available information; site personnel; and site inspection,
investigation and monitoring, including:
- waste placement (e.g. extent, time, volume, nature)
- site conditions (e.g. geometry/topography, weather, waters, geology, surrounding land,
capping system, integrity of the final cover and vegetation, landfill gas risks, leachate)
- potential future changes.
• hazards that have potential on-site or off-site impacts on the environment, human health, the
community or property
• options for corrective action as required.

The inspection and monitoring program should build on the monitoring program carried out during

landfill operation (if appropriate) and include the following:

• monitoring of groundwater, surface water, landfill gas and leachate

• the timing and nature of, and response to, community complaints

• inspection of the condition, integrity and performance of the following items (a–g). The
frequency of inspection and type of maintenance measures undertaken should be based on the
nature of the item, the site conditions and the results of the monitoring. The frequency should
be clearly stated and reviewed on at least an annual basis. A starting point for the frequency of
items a) to e) may be at least every two months; and at least two days before extreme weather
events as well as after these events. Extreme weather events are those that pose a high risk of
damage to environmental protection measures and may include high and/or intense wind
events. The frequency for items f) and g) should be based on the system requirements and
monitoring results.
a) the landfill cap, including differential settlement, cracks, leachate springs, soil erosion,
stability and vegetation
b) the stormwater control system
c) site security, access control and fire mitigation measures
d) infrastructure and buildings
e) the access roads
f) the leachate management systems
g) the landfill gas management system
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 Closure and post-closure plans for domestic, commercial and industrial landfills—Draft rev C, March 2005

• monitoring of amenity issues such as noise, dust, odour and vermin

• a process to implement maintenance actions resulting from the inspection and monitoring
program
• reporting and review of the inspection and monitoring program
• reporting to the EPA on at least an annual basis.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Legislation
Legislation may be viewed on the internet at:
<www.parliament.sa.gov.au/dbsearch/legsearch.htm>
Copies of legislation are available for purchase from:
Government Information Centre Telephone: 13 23 24
Lands Titles Office, 101 Grenfell Street Internet: <shop.service.sa.gov.au>
Adelaide SA 5000

For general information please contact:

Environment Protection Authority Telephone: (08) 8204 2004
GPO Box 2607 Facsimile: (08) 8204 9393
Adelaide SA 5001 Freecall (country): 1800 623 445
Internet: <www.epa.sa.gov.au/>
E-mail: epainfo@epa.sa.gov.au

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