Site Visit Report

VCB4423:

Solid and Hazardous Wastes Engineering

Name : Kinosraj a/l Kumaran 15352

Lecterur : Dr Lavania Baloo

INTRODUCTION

A site visit for the solid management engineering class was organized by Dr. Lavania on 15 December 2015. The location of the site visit was at Bukit Tagar Hulu Selangor. A total of approximately 60 ( 2 bus) students attended the site visit. The agenda of the visit consist of some briefing on presentation given by the person in charge. At the end of the briefing, there was a questioning and answering session between the student and the host. Countless valuable information was shared among both parties regarding the visit especially on the operation of the project.

OBJECTIVE OF THE VISIT

The purpose of this site visit is to provide the students with some knowledge and ideas on how the sanitary landfill being handled. The understanding of sanitary landfill would be good basis for student in order to practice in future. Besides the awareness on how important the management of solid waste can be increase and this site visit can assist the students on knowledge for the preparation of their future career

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LOCATION OF SITE

The Bukit Tagar landfill is situated on parts of Lots 25, 36 and 37 of Ladang Sg Tinggi in Mukin Sg Tinggi, Daerah Hulu Selangor. The landfill is approximately 50 km north of Kuala Lumpur and it is a developed on 700 acres land area with 1000 acres of buffer zone. The location also surrounded by palm plantation. It is a sanitary landfill and it started operation in 2007. The development of Bukit Tagar technically to overcome the problem associated with the closure of existing landfills at Taman Beringin in Kepong and Air Hitam in Puchong.

DESIGN AND FACILITIES

BTSL is the premier sanitary landfill in Malaysia which developed by KUB- Berjaya Enviro Sdn Bhd and under supervision from the Ministry of Urban Welbeing, Housing and Local Government where it provide safe, efficient and environmental friendly solid waste management solution. It is designed as a fully engineered level IV landfill which provide maximum protection to the environment, with full high density polyethylene (HDPE) membrane liner, leachate collection and leachate treatment system which fully automated by SCADA system.

The facilities that BTSL has are:

a. landfill with full HDPE membrane liner, b. leachate collection and treatment facilities and c. Comprehensive landfill gas management system.

LANDFILL SCHEMATIC DESIGN

HDPE MEMBRANE LINER

HDPE is the most widely used geomembrane in the world and is used more commonly internationally due to its availability and relatively inexpensive material cost. It is also broad chemical resistance, its high strength, its relative inherent flexibility achieved without additives, its weathering resistance that allows it to be left uncovered, and its ability to be integrally fusion-welded by thermal methods rather than by using solvents and adhesives. HDPE is needed over the landfill to keep water out (to prevent leachate formation). If the cover liner is not maintained, rain will enter the landfill resulting in buildup of leachate to the point where the bathtub overflows its sides and wastes enter the environment. There is even new innovation of generating solar power energy by fixing solar film on top of the cover.

LANDFILL AREA

LEACHATE TREATMENT

The leachate treatment plant that was fully automated by SCADA system which control of all the valves and pumps, and enabling the plant to operate automatically. The leachate treatment plant comprise 4 sequential batch reactor (SBR) lagoons, 24 aerators, chemical storage and dosing system, balancing tanks, sludge thickener and dissolved air flotation (DAF) plant. Lechate undergoes a biological process for 24 hours, it was transferred to the DAF plant to remove any residue. Then, treated leachate will convey to the reed beds which consist of Phragmites plant capable of absorbing residues in the treated leachate to improve its quality. After that the residue from the DAF plant is transferred to the sludge thickener and undergoes dewatering before it was transferred to the landfill. Lastly, the treated effluent undergoes last stages of manual checking before it irrigated in a 120-acre field. 4 leachate holding-ponds on site provide 180,000 cubic meters leachate storage capacity to attenuate peak flows during wet seasons ad the holding ponds also provide leachate storage when the leachate treatment plant is undergoing maintenance. Besides, the leachate treatment plant condition is fully monitored from the control room near the leachate treatment plant. The action taken from the reading given from the reading in the control room.

The leachate is intercepted by the base liner system and conveyed through drainage pipes to the leachate treatment plant (LTP). When the leachate reach the LTP, the LTP will employs aerobic and anaerobic biological processes and it will also undergo the flocculation and dissolved air flotation process. These processes are important to break down pollutants in the leachate to harmless component within a 24 hour cycle. After the process complete then the treated effluent is further processed in the reed bed which consists of Phragmites plant capable of absorbing residues in the treated leachate to improve its quality. Final treated effluent achieving the DOE, standards are not discharged into water courses, but are irrigated in designated zones to be absorbed by vegetation through evapo-transpiration to achieve zero-discharge policy.

BTSL needs to treat the leachate properly because they are using it back as a water supply. They have successfully treated the leachate until it reaches the grade B for water drinking standard. Amazingly their Landfill in China, the leachate treated until it reach grade A of water drinking standard.

AERATION TANK

WATER BEFORE AND AFTER

LEACHATE TANK

LEACHATE TANK CLOSE-UP

LEACHATE TREATMENT CONTROL PANEL

GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In BTSL, besides processing the solid waste, a comprehensive landfill gas management system is in place. This system is dealing with landfill gas, including methane, which is by product of the decomposition of organic matter. BTSL uses the methane gas to produce electricity to supply electric in BTSL.

The company used the methane at the site to generate 4MW and up to 10MW. The company was sold to TNB and fed to the National grid. As I mention earlier, based on my field trip, BTSL has developed two gas flares to treat the landfill gas and now it is operating 1.2 megawatt gas engine to generate electricity from methane gas. BTSL also has implemented Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement with TNB to supply green energy to the to the national grid. We were able to see the bluish-purple flame inside the gas flares.

Other than that, KBE also explores the use of solar power by installing solar panels on top of the filled landfill cells. The special about the BTSL landfill, it has the most Certified Emission Reduction or carbon credits issued for a landfill project in Southeast Asia under the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) scheme based on the Kyoto Protocol. As we know that this solar power use in the BTSL, so it can create the competitive advantages as compared to the other rivals.

DISSOLVED AIR FLOATATION UNIT (DAF)

THE WASTE PROCESS IN BTSL

The waste has enter into BTSL will be processed very systematic and detail. Municipal waste arriving in haulage trucks are weigh at electronic weigh bridge first before that waste will be discharging at designated tipping areas in active at phase 2 and phase 3. At site, bulldozer and compactor spread and compact the waste in layer by layer and at the end of process, they will make daily cover for that active cell by using plastic and clay because they want to avoid the oxygen and the rain enter that cell.

The gas is produced by the waste will go out by gas vents and pipes are constructed contemporaneously within the waste layer capture and channel landfill gas. The storm water interception system diverts and drains storm water into silts traps and dentations ponds for discharge. The liquid or leachate come out from the waste is intercepted by the base liner system and conveyed through drainage pipes to leachate treatment plant (LPT).

The LTP employs aerobic and anaerobic biological process, flocculation and dissolved air floating to break down pollutant in the leachate to harmless components within 24 hours cycle. The treated effluent is further processed in the reed beds to remove traces of heavy metals. At the final process, final treated effluents achieving the DOE standards are not discharged into water course, but are irrigated in designated zones to be absorbed by vegetation through evapo-transpiration to achieve zero discharge policy.

FLARE UNIT

The Bukit Tagar have also involved in the intensive fast-track program of planning, design and construction. It is aimed to provide a long-term solution that supports the Government of Malaysia objective in waste recovery, recycling, re-use and waste recovery. This is one of the best implementations of the company to preserve our environment since it will reduce deforestation and cutting trees. In the 2004, Consult Sdn Bhd was engaged by the developer, KUB Berjaya Enviro Sdn Bhd, to design, plan and supervise the development of the Bukit Tagar waste disposal facility. This is according to the objective to overcome the problem associates with the closure existing landfills at the Taman Beringin in Kepong and Air Hitam Puchong. The facility was successfully developed on a fast track programme to be operational within a six-month period whilst fully satisfying the requirements of the Department of Environment (DOE) and the received its first load of waste on 1 April 2005 and now handles some 3,000 tonnes of waste per day.

In terms of to preserve the international interest in turn of reflecting the national interest, health and safety of the regional community, this company has culminated in the construction of a world class sanitary landfill which represents the very best in the construction of the world class sanitary landfill which represents the very best in the private-public sector cooperation.

The company has achieved the highest environmental standards in the related waste management system, since the landfills have also a demonstrably world class in all aspects. There is a 500m buffer zone that ensures the landfill isolation and natural topography provides the barrier to visual observation, odour and noise. This company can create the competitive advantage since its location is close to the North-South Highway. The competitive advntage of this , it can reduce the traffic impacts over those from the former landfills and at the same time it will ensured that the facility represents a new standard in environmental protection.

Other than that Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill amongst its innovative engineering achievement is T&T Konsult’s involvement in the design, construction and operation of the largest leachate treatment plant in South East Asia. The size is equivalent in the size of the previous largest leachate treatment plant in situated in Hong Kong. The plant is fully automated with sophisticated SCADA control systems where the operator intervention requirements are minimized. The leachate treatment process involves to treat locate to achieve a zero discharge of the treated leachate from the site. The capacity of this plant is 1,000 m3/day and has been designed and developed to allow modular expansion up to 3,000 m3 /day.

CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE OF BTSL

CLOSURE

Every landfill is required to prepare a written closure plan that describes the steps necessary to close the unit in accordance with the closure requirements. This plan must include:

A description of the final cover design and its installation methods and procedures. An estimate of the largest area of the landfill requiring a final cover. An estimate of the maximum inventory of waste on site during the landfill’s active life. A schedule for completing all required closure activities.

Once a has received its final shipment of waste, it must begin closure operations within 30 days. A landfill, however, may delay closure for up to one year if additional capacity remains. Any further delays after one year require approval from the state director. After beginning, all closure activities must be completed within 180 days (with the exception of an extension from the state director). After closure is complete, the owner/operators then must certify that the closure has been completed in accordance with the official closure plan. This certification must be signed by an independent, registered professional engineer or the state director. At this time, the MSWLF owner/operators also must make a notation on the property deed indicating that the land was used as a landfill and that its future use for other activities is restricted.

For BTSL closure procedure is not needed as it is estimated to run forever. The method that BTSL is proposing will be land mining method. Landfill mining and reclamation (LFMR) is a process whereby solid wastes which have previously been landfilled are excavated and processed. The function of landfill mining is to reduce the amount of landfill mass encapsulated within the closed landfill and/or temporarily remove hazardous material to allow protective measures to be taken before the landfill mass is replaced. In the process, mining recovers valuable recyclable materials, a combustible fraction, soil, and landfill space. The aeration of the landfill soil is a secondary benefit regarding the landfill's future use. The combustible fraction is useful for the generation of power. The overall appearance of the landfill mining procedure is a sequence of processing machines laid out in a functional conveyor system. The operating principle is to excavate, sieve and sort the landfill material.

POST-CLOSURE

Post-closure care activities consist of monitoring and maintaining the waste containment systems and monitoring groundwater to ensure that waste is not escaping and polluting the surrounding environment. The required post-closure care period is 30 years from site closure, but this can be shortened or extended by the director of an approved state program as necessary to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

Specific post-closure care requirements consist of maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the:

Final cover system Leachate collection system Groundwater monitoring system Methane gas monitoring system

The owner/operator of a closed MSWLF must prepare a written post-closure care plan that provides:

However, there is no need for BTSL because after land mining, the landfill can be used forever even after returned back to government to handle it.

FLOW OF THE PROCESS MANAGEMENT

SITE PREPARATION TRUCK DISCHARGING WASTE

APPENDIX

SITE VISIT/STUDY VISIT

DAILY COVER

ELECTRICITY GENERATION LEACHATE TREATMENT PONDS

SIMPLE BRIEFING ABOUT BTSL

ELECTICAL GENERATION

SITE PHASE 2 AND GET FAST EXPLANATION HOW THE

PROCESS RUNNING ON AT SITE