Landfill Mining

1
Landfill Mining

• Is it feasible?

2
Improved Landfill MiningBiotechnology Advances.
Volume15, Issue 2, 1997

• Injection of moisture, air and raw material such
  as sewage sludge, while venting the depleted air
  and moisture to increase the rate of
  decomposition
• Excavating the landfill to remove material
• Segregating materials such as decomposed waste,
  recyclables, hazardous and toxic waste from the
  residual material, that is than returned to the
  landfill

3
Improved Landfill MiningBiotechnology Advances.
Volume15, Issue 2, 1997

• The rate of aerobic production controlled by
• injecting additional air and water to cool the
  landfill
• Additional sewage sludge to increase reaction rate

4
The Australian Institute of Geoscientists
Athens-Clarke County's landfill

• Based on Lamar County's expenses, the overall
  project could cost 2.5 million, but a three-year
  study to begin in 2004 would uncover whether the
  mining is economically feasible, according to the
  plan. Long before workers uncover what's buried
  in the landfill, they'll figure out what's in
  trash cans around the county, under another
  provision of the plan.
• removing waste from an unlined dump, sifting out
  the dirt and decomposed waste, recycling any
  metal or tires and placing the 20 percent that's
  left in a modern, lined landfill.

5
The Australian Institute of Geoscientists
Athens-Clarke County's landfill

• Mining could remove the contaminated material,
  while freeing up the land to be lined and reused
  as new landfill space. This would create enough
  space for 30 years
• ''Once you remove the source that's causing the
  contamination, the groundwater cleans up fast. It
  gives us 50 acres of land that can be used as
  landfill,'' Corley said. ''EPD is very favourable
  on this process because you are correcting a past
  problem.''