ose
its strength, to soften and to become brittle and then
. Composite liners, a single liner made with two parts
(one of plastic and one of compacted solid, usually clay)
are all prone to the development of leaks.
Zero Waste America (2001) commented that all liners, used singly or in combination, are known empirically to fail or to leak over time. In the view of this organization, which admittedly lobbies in favor of an elimination of all landfill practices and gradual restoration of current landfill sights, landfills are, regardless of the type, number and composition of their liners, ecological "bad news."
The two landfills selected for comparison in this report are, as stated above, Staten Island's Fresh Kills (one of the oldest, largest and most controversial of all New York State landfills) and Port Washington Landfill. The Port Washington Landfill is also known as the Town of North Hempstead L-4 Landfill and has been in continuous operation since March 1974 on the western side of Hempstead Harbor within Port Washington, Nassau County, New York. The site is known to be bordered by sand pits, a country club, and a residential community. The Salem School is less than 700 feet from the site which was operated as a sand mining facility prior to being opened as a landfill (NPL Site narrative..., 1983). At the time the site was opened, it sloped gently from an elevation of 40 to 60 feet above mean sea level and terminated in a 100 foot cliff. Over the years of operation, Port Washington accepted 200,000 tons of refuse per year, creating a fill 115 feet thick and extending 15 feet above the cliff.
The Port Washington Landfill has experienced both on-site and off-site contamination of groundwater and soil gas. Principle contaminants have been identified as volatile organic compounds (e.g., gasoline components, dry-cleaning fluids, solvents) from industrial waste disposal. Landfill soil gas has in the pas...