Is Your Landfill Secure?

Is your landfill secure…or not? Bill, the manager of a medium-size rural landfill, thought his landfill was secure. Sure, there were areas where the fence was in poor shape. In fact, he’d seen kids riding their motorcycles in the south hills. But as long as they didn’t tear up the final cover, what could they hurt?

A few weeks later, Bill found out. He was awakened at 3:00 a.m. by a telephone call from the fire department. Apparently some kids had ridden their motorcycles onto the landfill and set fire the new D9R dozer. Not only would the landfill be without a dozer for several weeks, the repair bill was expected to top $150,000.

What Is Site Security?

Site security is a measure of, well, how secure your landfill is. No, we don’t label a landfill as insecure if it suffers from rejection. Nor do we look back at the events that occurred during its early developmental stages to see how they affected its psyche. Rather, a secure landfill has the ability to close its gate, turn out the lights, and keep people out. In some cases, it might be just that simple. In other cases, however, site security might require a lot more effort.

Fortunately, in most locales, the question of what makes a site secure is answered on a site-by-site basis.

Why Must Landfills Be Secure?

The mother of all landfills regulations—EPA’s Subtitle D—requires “control of public access to new and existing MSWLF units to prevent illegal dumping of wastes, public exposure to hazards at MSWLFs, and unauthorized vehicular traffic.” EPA believes that simply requiring owners or operators to control public access allows the owner or operator to implement a system tailored to site-specific characteristics.

If we forget the regulations—in reality, how many people are going to break into a landfill to dump hazardous waste?—there are lots of other reasons why you’d want your landfill to be secure. Other important considerations include theft, vandalism, and liability.

Theft. At many landfills, theft is a serious problem. This can include theft of fuel, tools, equipment, and even recyclable materials. Go figure. If it fits in a pickup and it has value, somebody will steal it if he can. In extreme cases, some landfills have even had to deal with armed robbery of the gatehouse attendant.

Vandalism. Broken glass, cut fences, and graffiti are probably the most common forms of vandalism. However, vandalism can range from bullet-riddled signs to machines being set on fire.

Liability. Liability is like a bear in the woods: You know it’s out there. You know there’s a potential threat. And chances are you could camp out for years and never have a problem. But if you are attacked, it will likely be serious.

Also, because of their remote location and all those big tractors, landfills will often be looked upon as an attractive nuisance. This increases the chance that kids will get into the landfill – if they can.

If you want to minimize your risk, make your landfill as secure as possible.

How Much Is Enough?

Is a padlocked gate adequate? Do you need an 8-ft. chainlink fence and barbed wire around the perimeter? Are surveillance cameras or full-time security staff really necessary? The right answer is as varied as the landfills that ask those questions.

According to Subtitle D, steps needed to comply with the standards may be determined by individual states on a site-specific basis. For some facilities, it might not be necessary to construct any artificial barrier (such as fences) in order to comply with this criterion. Such facilities include, for example, those located in remote areas away from the general public or in areas with mountainous terrain or cliffs that would make access difficult for the general public. Posting signs and gates across access roads might be sufficient in remote areas to prevent public access that could lead to injuries; however, facilities located near residential areas or other public areas might be required to construct fences to control access.

Landfills located in high-crime areas or those with “high-demand” items, such as computers, pickups, hand tools, or recyclable materials, or sites with expensive equipment might wish to go with a 24-hour security-guard service. The key is to be aware of where your landfill is vulnerable and how best to guard it against potential problems.

Summary

Your landfill has to be secure for two reasons: (1) it’s the law, (2) it’s common sense. How you secure your site is for the most part up to you and subject to your state and/or local regulators. In any event, if your landfill is not secure, neither are you.