Why landfill gas risk assessments?
It is a council requirement to conduct a landfill gas risk assessment prior to construction of warehouses, apartments, townhouses and duplex (dual occupancy) subdivisions, when in the vicinity of a current or former landfill. Ultra Environmental is an appropriately qualified site assessor with demonstrated experience in landfill gas risk assessments and the monitoring of landfill gas in the subsurface environment.
The issue with landfill gas
Landfill gas can create a range of potential hazards, including:
- explosive concentrations of methane
- asphyxiating conditions (lack of oxygen)
- exposure to a range of volatile organic compounds and trace gases
- risk of harm to human health from waste
- other general hazards related to landfills.
Factors to be considered
The following factors should be considered when assessing landfill gas risks:
- proposed development
- site features and distance to landfill/s
- landfill type, age and material stored
- geology and depth to groundwater
- meteorological and environmental conditions
Monitoring activities for landfill gas risk assessments
We investigate the presence of landfill gases including methane and carbon dioxide via risk assessment activities such as:
- monitoring at surface
- monitoring in bores
- monitoring in subsurface services
- monitoring in buildings and structures
Outcomes for landfill gas risk assessments
Based on the monitoring results, the outcome of the landfill gas risk assessment can potentially include:
- The site is safe to develop unrestricted as there are no detectable concentrations recorded or below criteria
- An environmental management plan can be developed where concentration levels are higher than the methane gas action levels
- An environmental audit may need to be undertaken
