7803_Robeson_MSWLF_LeachateIssue_DIN26644_20160816

1
Frost, Larry
From:Barber, Jim
Sent:Tuesday, August 16, 2016 2:58 PM
To:Frost, Larry
Subject:FW: Robeson County Landfill Leachate System
Attachments:download-1386620304040.docx
Larry; 
Here’s the information that was provided in an email to Belinda Henson, FRO DWR regional supervisor, from Cody Hunt 
with Locklear, Locklear & Jacobs. My response to Belinda in below. This is the last email correspondence that I’ve had on 
the subject. As we discuss this morning, I’ve had a call or two with Cody Hunt. I assume that Belinda forwarded this 
email to Cody, but I’m not sure. 

Jim Barber
Environmental Engineer
NCDEQ-DWR-WQRO
Fayetteville Regional Office
910-433-3340 voice
910-486-0707 fax
[e-mail] 

E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and
may be disclosed to third parties.

 Go Green! Print this email only when necessary.  Thank you for helping NCDENR be environmentally responsible. 
. 

******************* 

From: Barber, Jim  
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 9:47 AM 
To: Shackelford, Dennis <[e-mail]>; Hammonds, Andrew <[e-mail]> 
Cc: Henson, Belinda ([e-mail]) <[e-mail]> 
Subject: FW: Robeson County Landfill Leachate System 

Guys; 
What does the Robeson County landfill currently do with their leachate (i.e. pump & haul to St. Pauls/Lumberton/PWC, 
recirculate into waste, discharge to a collection system to a POTW)? Back in my day they pumped and hauled to St. 
Paul’s. 

Jim 

From: Barber, Jim
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 9:42 AM
To: Henson, Belinda ([e-mail])
Cc: Risgaard, Jon; Honeycutt, Tony
Subject: FW: Robeson County Landfill Leachate System

Belinda; 
2
Based on what is presented, it appears that the information provided was derived from a computer model indicating the 
treatment capacity (capability) of the RO system and not an actual sample of the wastewater leaving the RO system.  A 
more meaningful decision can be made concerning land application of the treated leachate if a representative sample 
(several aliquots over a couple of days or so) of the wastewater generated can be obtained and sampled according to 
the parameters in our land application permits or spray irrigation permits. Also, there are limited metals analysis’ 
(copper, zinc, lead, arsenic, etc. not included) in the information provided. Again, it would be wise to sample the waste 
product for the normal spectrum of metals that are required by our land application/spray irrigation permits. 

Will this proposed material be managed with a pump truck and land applied (on landfill property or off‐site) or is it 
intended to be spray irrigated? Since it will be a liquid, I’m assuming it will be handled as a spray irrigation type system 
and permitted under .0500 and at a minimum the representative sample should be analyzed for the constituents listed 
in .0504 ( h ). (Jon, is this assumption correct?) 

It appears that more information is necessary and there may be some benefit to meet with Robeson County folks (Steve 
Edge) and LL&J to get more information and provided them with some direction as to sampling requirements for future 
samples so a more detailed discussion can take place as to the merits of land applying treated leachate from the 
Robeson county landfill. If the intent is to manage the treated leachate on‐site; then I would assume this would stay in 
the hands of the Solid Waste Section (Composting and Land Application branch) and DWR would stay out of the decision 
making/permitting process. (Again, Jon is this assumption correct??)  

Jim Barber 

From: Henson, Belinda
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2013 4:16 PM
To: Barber, Jim
Subject: FW: Robeson County Landfill Leachate System

Jim, 

With the information noted by Mr. Hunt, would a nondischarge permit be a viable option?   Thank you for your 
assistance. 

Belinda 

From: Cody Hunt [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2013 3:22 PM
To: Henson, Belinda
Subject: Robeson County Landfill Leachate System

Mrs. Henson,

Attached are permeate estimates for the RO treated water at the landfill. Again when you get time I'd like to
discuss options for water disposal.

Thanks,

Cody Hunt
LL&J
910.674.5925

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone
Reverse Osmosis design relies on software which predicts permeate quality.

Laboratory work was performed to look for fouling and scaling with some analytical spot checks to see
that performance was in line with the software model.

In this case, analytical work on the permeate was limited to tracking measurements of conductivity,
ammonia nitrogen, and COD.

In addition, the membrane utilized in the lab work is not the membrane specified for the actual unit,
which will have better ammonia nitrogen rejection than the lab membrane.

The best estimate of permeate quality comes from the software based on actual analytical of the
starting sample.

Note also that the RO will operate in batch mode, such that the characteristics of the permeate will
change over the course of the run as the feed becomes progressively more concentrated. That is, the
RO will pass higher concentrations as the feed concentration increases.

Estimates for the permeate are shown in the table below for what should be leaving as permeate at the
time 80% recovery is reached (Instantaneous) and for the entire volume of permeate produced during
processing of the batch.

Instantaneous Full Volume Units
Chemical Oxygen Demand <3 <3 mg/l
Ammonia Nitrogen 0.83 0.3 mg/l
Sodium 59 23 mg/l
Magnesium 1.9 0.08 mg/l
Calcium 11.4 4.7 mg/l
Bicarbonate 33.7 15.2 mg/l
Chloride 98.6 40.9 mg/l
Sulfate 1.38 0.8 mg/l
Silica 0.23 0.05 mg/l
Total Dissolved Solids 207 86 mg/l

The COD values are actual measurements from a lab trial – the software does not estimate COD.