3406_INSP_20170131

FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section

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UNIT TYPE:
Lined
MSWLF LCID YW Transfer Compost SLAS COUNTY: Forsyth
Closed
MSWLF X HHW White
goods Incin T&P FIRM PERMIT NO.: 3406
CDLF Tire T&P /
Collection Tire
Monofill Industrial
Landfill DEMO SDTF FILE TYPE: COMPLIANCE

Date of Site Inspection: 01/31/2017 Date of Last Inspection: 09/11/2012

FACILITY NAME AND ADDRESS:
Piedmont Sanitary Landfill - Closed
9900 Freeman Road
Kernersville, NC 27284

GPS COORDINATES: N: 36.195582° W: -80.037215°

FACILITY CONTACT NAME AND PHONE NUMBER:
Name: Alexander Lacsamana, District Manager, Closed Site Management Group, Waste Management
Telephone: [phone] (office); 404-354-2693 (mobile)
Email address: [e-mail]

FACILITY CONTACT ADDRESS:
1000 Parkwood Circle, Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30339

PARTICIPANTS:
Van Burbach, Sr. Technical Consultant – Joyce Engineering
Susan Heim, Environmental Senior Specialist – Solid Waste Section

STATUS OF PERMIT:
Closed MSW landfill

PURPOSE OF SITE VISIT:
Post-closure Inspection

STATUS OF PAST NOTED VIOLATIONS:
None

OBSERVED VIOLATIONS:
None

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

1. Facility is a closed lined MSW landfill, that entered the post-closure period on October 29, 2004.
2. An operator is on duty at the facility during regular business hours to monitor and maintain the gas-to-energy
system. This system was in operation at the time of this inspection. As requested in the previous inspection, as-built
drawings, detailing construction of this system, were received by the Solid Waste Section on October 10, 2012.
The item(s) listed above were observed by Section staff and require action on behalf of the facility in order to come into or maintain compliance
with the Statutes, Rules, and/or other regulatory requirements applicable to this facility. Be advised that pursuant to N.C.G.S. 130A-22, an
administrative penalty of up to $15,000 per day may be assessed for each violation of the Solid Waste Laws, Regulations, Conditions of a Permit,
or Order under Article 9 of Chapter 130A of the N.C. General Statutes. Further, the facility and/or all responsible parties may also be subject to
enforcement actions including penalties, injunction from operation of a solid waste management facility or a solid waste collection service and any
such further relief as may be necessary to achieve compliance with the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Act and Rules.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Page 2 of 4

3. No Waste Management Closed Site staff were onsite during this inspection; Van Burbach, Joyce Engineering, was
present to provide facility records and participate in the field inspection of the site.
4. The closure letter and post-closure plan were reviewed and verified prior to the inspection.
5. Groundwater monitoring is now being conducted annually, as approved by the Solid Waste Section on October 8,
2015. The report for the ground water monitoring event for 2016 was reviewed during the inspection. 11
monitoring wells, including one up-gradient background well, and 4 surface monitoring points were sampled
March 16-17, 2016.
6. Methane monitoring is required to be performed quarterly. Only the most recent report for December 19, 2016 was
available for review during this inspection. By February 17, please provide the Solid Waste Section with copies
of the methane monitoring reports covering the period from the fourth quarter 2012 through the third
quarter 2016 for review.
7. The facility is secured by means of a locked gate. Proper signage was posted on the gate.
8. Permanent edge of waste markers, constructed of purple plastic, were installed and clearly visible.
9. Roadways accessing the eastern half of the facility are adequately maintained; however, the section of roadway that
accesses the western portion of the landfill is not navigable by vehicle, according to Mr. Burbach. The inspection of
this area of the facility was conducted on foot.
10. The ditch line encircling the toe of the landfill slopes appears to be functional. However, an area west of the facility
entrance gate was observed to be extremely shallow. The matting that covers the ditch in this particular area is
buckled and appears to have shifted out of position, allowing water to travel under it and undermine the surface
water collection system. Ponding water was also observed in the ditch and on the roadway in this same area. (see
photos below) In addition, some sections of this drainage ditch are overgrown with brushy weeds and plant
material. Please perform maintenance to ensure that the surface water collection system is functioning
properly and ponding water does not occur.
11. Vegetation is regularly mowed.
12. For the most part, the facility has well established vegetative cover.
13. A significant area of slope failure was observed near the top of the cap. This area appeared to have been repaired
previously without success (see photo below). Mr. Burbach was unable to provide information as to why the repairs
were needed originally. Ensure that repairs are made to this area immediately and that adequate soil cover is
applied in order to prevent waste exposure and to establish a stable vegetative cover.
14. Several other small, developing areas of erosion, including an area along the roadway used to access the top of the
landfill, were observed on the landfill cap. A large patch of dead vegetation on the northern slope of the landfill
was also observed during this inspection. Ensure that repairs to the cap and the vegetative cover are made
immediately to prevent exposed waste and erosion and that the landfill cap is inspected regularly.
15. Slope drains appeared to be functioning properly.
16. Mr. Burbach provided a post-closure site plan that indicated the locations of all ground water monitoring wells, gas
monitoring probes and landfill gas extraction wells. Wells were easily accessible. Ground water wells were locked.
17. Monitoring wells, gas probes and gas extraction wells were observed to be poorly tagged or not tagged at all.
Ensure that all groundwater monitoring wells, landfill gas probes and landfill gas extraction wells are
clearly tagged with the designated identifying number by March 10, 2017.
18. One of the landfill gas extraction wells, marked with a hand-painted “40,” was stained with a white residue which
appeared to have resulted from leaking liquid being sprayed from the valves and couplings. The white residue is
clearly visible in the photo below. It appears that this well is compromised and needs to be fully evaluated.
19. Leachate is collected in five above-ground storage tanks located on the south side of Freeman Road. The tanks are
housed within a small fenced compound that includes a secondary containment area constructed of concrete block
approximately two feet high. Tank levels are monitored remotely using a telemetry system. Inspection of the
leachate tanks revealed several concerns:
a. Some liquid had ponded on the floor of the containment area at the base of one of the tanks.
b. Significant rust was observed on the exterior walls of the tanks; areas of staining were visible that appeared
to be the result of water flowing downward from pipes and couplings.
c. The insulation material encasing the pipes has deteriorated and appeared to be fastened to the pipes with
silver duct tape.
d. During the inspection it was not possible to ascertain the fill level of the five leachate storage tanks or to
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
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confirm that the telemetry system was functioning properly. The control panels are locked and no exterior
gauges are present that could provide any information about the system at all.
e. Post-inspection, Mr. Burbach provided documentation of monthly landfill inspections that include visual
inspections of the leachate collection system and of leachate generation. He also provided details about
repairs made to the system in 2015 and 2016. However, based on the foregoing observations, the structural
integrity of the tanks and pipes themselves is also a concern.
20. By February 17, 2017, contact Jaclynne Drummond, Compliance Hydrogeologist with the Solid Waste
Section, at 828-296-4706 to discuss further evaluation of the concerns detailed in numbers 18 and 19 above
and any corrective action that may be required.

Water ponding in drainage ditch and on access roadway at toe
of landfill slope. Note buckled matting in ditch at left of photo.
Shallow portion of ditch running into deeper section. Again,
note buckled matting along ditch line.
Drainage ditch filled with vegetation. Liquid ponding at base of one of the leachate storage tanks.
Note pipe connection with duct tape.
Stains from liquid flow on leachate tank under pipe couplings.
Again, note pipes covered with duct tape.
Staining under pipe on tank on the right. Connecting pipe
covered with duct tape.
FACILITY COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
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Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this inspection report.

__________________________________________ Phone: [phone]
Susan Heim
Environmental Senior Specialist
Regional Representative

Sent on: February 9, 2017 to
Alexander Lacsamana.
X Email Hand delivery US Mail

Copies: Deb Aja, Western District Supervisor – Solid Waste Section
Jessica Montie, Compliance Officer – Solid Waste Section
Jaclynne Drummond, Compliance Hydrogeologist – Solid Waste Section
Van Burbach – Joyce Engineering

Slope failure on south slope above access roadway. Matting
from previous repairs is visible.
Gas extraction well with white
residue around the valves and
couplings.