A cost/benefit study of earthen landfill covers
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Date
2003
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University of New Brunswick
Abstract
The vast majority of landfill covers that are currently in use contain a barrier
layer. This layer's purpose is to minimize the peculation of water into the waste and
thereby avoid ieachate generation. These covers are expensive to construct as well as
being difficult and expensive to repair if they fail. Evapotranspiration landfill covers work
under the principle that the soil on top of the waste acts as a reservoir for water. This
water is then removed from the soil through evaporation and transpiration. The soil
layer is thick enough that the water does not penetrate into the waste. It is less
expensive to construct and easier to maintain than the conventional barrier cover.
It has been found that Evapotranspiration Covers work well in semi-arid and arid
regions. They can also be used in other regions but are site specific. It has been
determined that Evapotranspiration Covers can be used as an economic alternative to
the more conventional barrier type covers in Fredericton which resides in a temperate
climate. An Evapotranspiration cover is found to produce significantly more Ieachate
than conventional cover systems in New Brunswick's temperate climate; however the
cost of treating this Ieachate is inconsequential in the city of Fredericton. ET covers are
less expensive to construct than both conventional cover systems and the cover system
currently in place in the Fredericton. Taking this into consideration it has been found
that evapotranspiration covers are an economically viable option in the Fredericton
area.