Landfill site selection

Landfills are typical waste disposal facilities in urban areas. The Sanitary Landfill Manual of Practice, prepared by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 1959) defines it: “as a method of disposing of refuse on land without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety, by utilizing the principles of engineering to confine the refuse to the smallest areas, to reduce it to the smallest practical volume, and to cover it with layers of earth at the conclusion of each day’s operation or at such more frequent intervals as may be necessary.” This operation requires systematically depositing, compacting, and covering the wastes. For example, usually 6 to 12 inches of earth are placed over each 2 feet of compacted fill. The top earth cover should have a minimum designated depth and be grassed to prevent erosion. The projected land use of a landfill may be a park with recreational facilities that are not affected by gradual subsidence of the ground surface. In general, landfills offer an economic alternative to the problem of the disposal of wastes.