Closing an Open Dumpsite and Shifting - International ...

• Bioreactor Landfills
X. ELEMENTS OF A CLOSURE PLAN
Before a disposal facility stops receiving wastes, it is important that a final closure plan is
prepared, approved, and available for implementation. The main components of the plan
include, but are not limited, to the following:
• Stabilization of critical slopes;
• Final cover;
• Drainage control systems;
• Leachate and gas management systems;
• Fire control;
• Prevention of illegal dumping;
• Resettlement action plan; and
• Security.
A. Stabilization of Critical Slopes
The absence of proper operational procedures in most open dumpsites often result in
dangerously high heaps of garbage. Thus, it may be necessary to level the heaps of garbage in
order to reduce the hazards posed by unstable slopes. The final surface of the fill should be
graded to about 2 - 4%, while the side slopes should have a vertical to horizontal ratio less
than 1:3. Please see Figure 10.
B. Final Cover
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2 - 4% 2 - 4%
Figure 10. Grading of the Final Surface
The final soil cover (or cap) is applied to a completed disposal facility to act as a barrier in
order to:
• Reduce infiltration of water into the disposal area;
• Reduce gas migration;
• Prevent burrowing animals from damaging the cover;
• Prevent the emergence of insects/rodents from the compacted refuse;
• Minimize the escape of odors, and;
• Support vegetation.
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