In January of 2020, we were assured by Republic Services that the High Density Polyethylene plastic liners in the proposed new landfill would last for 400 – 700 years.
These liners are made of the same stuff that peanut can lids are made of, and are about 1/16 inch thick. Sheets of it are welded together on site, the welds becoming weak points. They are subjected to extreme chemistries and high pressures in use, and when the mountain of trash shrinks over the years, differential stresses cause tears as some portions shrink faster than others. So, what is the experience in practice?
The EPA doesn’t mince words [Click Here to See What They Say]. Spoiler alert – Landfills, even with the “modern” liners used today, always leak. If not right away, then 10, 20 or a few more years later.
The Kentucky Resource Council in a manual for municipalities negotiating host agreements argues that a standard 20 – 30 year requirement for a landfill operator to be responsible after closure is not enough, because “The time a facility may become a problem due to leachate breakthroughs is some 20 – 30 years hence in a facility that is otherwise without design or construction flaws.” [Click to Read Document]
It’s important to know that if we allow Modern to start another landfill next to the present site, the trash that goes into it will be out of sight and out of mind for New York City, Philadelphia and wherever else it came from but our children and grandchildren will likely see it creep into their lives in some form, perhaps in their cup of tea.