VIOLATIONS AT THE HYLAND LANDFILL
As compiled from MONTLY MONITORING REPORTS of the
NY STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials, Region 9
270 Michigan Ave., Buffalo, NY 14203-2999
(716) 851-7220
On November 2nd Hyland wants us to vote in favor of expanding their Angelica landfill even though they are quite clearly unable, or unwilling, to adequately take care of the current operation. Continuous violations, repeated month after month, demonstrate the company’s disregard for complying with even the basic minimal terms and conditions of the operating permit granted to them by the DEC. More importantly, the summaries documented below are proof of Hyland’s total lack of concern for the environmental quality of the Town of Angelica and the public health and safety of its residents.
Hyland’s inspection record over the last three years is getting worse, not better. Please take a moment to look at the information below and decide for yourself…
August 2004
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient intermediate cover – two large areas of protruding waste
Failure to control leachate – excessive number of breakouts around the landfill
Failure to completely comply with permit seeding requirements
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Litter needs to be picked up south of landfill; tracked waste on access roads.
July 2004
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover – minimum of 6” of daily cover not placed over exposed waste at end of day
Insufficient intermediate cover - did not seed to grass as required
Failure to contain leachate within the landfill
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Leachate levels in the sump exceed the pump-on levels stated in the Leachate Management Plan.
Reconstruction of the clay liner around the leachate tank vault was not completed by the deadline.
June 2004
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient intermediate cover
Insufficient daily cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Winter weather has delayed reconstruction of the leachate tank clay liner.
There are continuous operational difficulties with a leachate collection sump.
May 2004
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover
Insufficient intermediate cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Leachate is visibly flowing down slope and in to storm water containment area; multiple breakouts
Scattered litter is visible north, east, and south of the landfill.
April 2004
VIOLATIONS:
Storm water / leachate breakouts on south slope
Insufficient daily cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Litter is scattered around the site, especially after high wind.
Reconstruction of the leachate tank clay liner has been delayed.
A pool of leachate at the top of the south slope needs to be drained in to the landfill.
February 2004
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Several areas of protruding waste became visible after recent snowmelt.
Reconstruction of the leachate tank clay liner has been delayed.
January 2004
AREAS OF CONCERN:
The acceptability of daily and intermediate cover could not be verified due to snowmelt.
Water needs to be pumped out of the floor of the pump house.
December 2003
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Isolated areas of waste are protruding adjacent to recent working faces.
Additional daily cover needed on east end.
Storm water is backing up in to the primary drainage store because the pump is not operating.
Significant gas odors are coming from the leachate riser pipes that Hyland has not sealed.
November 2003
AREAS OF CONCERNS:
The primary leachate pipe within the vault was broken during high pressure flushing of the lines.
More daily cover needed over protruding waste.
October 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Leachate is entering surface waters.
Other multiple leachate breakouts – “This has been an ongoing issue.”
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Litter in the woods north of the landfill
September 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Primary leachate levels in cell 1 and 2 sumps exceed acceptable range.
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Breakouts on the north and south slopes continue to be problematic.
August 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Excessive dust is being generated on access roads; large clouds of dust blowing in to drainage layer.
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Four uncontrolled breaks on the north slope.
July 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Areas of exposed waste are consistently visible.
Hyland has not removed contaminated soil in the tank containment area.
Leachate was backed up in the sumps beyond acceptable limits.
Interim cover contains a lot of shale which may not support vegetation.
June 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover
Breakouts midway up the south slope have not been remediated
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Discolored water accumulating in the ground in the leachate tank containment area.
Leachate load out pad pipe was leaking below ground.
The contaminated soils still need to be removed from the containment area.
May 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient intermediate cover (2 separate citations)
Insufficient daily cover
Failure to begin installation of final cover system in cell #1
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Hyland is leaving areas of waste exposed.
Wind blown litter around the site needs to be picked up.
April 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to place seed and mulch immediately following intermediate cover placement
Multiple breakouts on the north, south, east, and west slopes of cell #1; 5-7 breakouts flowing down
west slope; discolored water in stormwater containment area – this water is pumped off site.
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Large sheets of foam still exist in the woods north of the landfill.
Excessive dust
Additional daily cover needed
Litter is blowing out of the back of waste trucks that have untarped.
The level of water in the groundwater sump frequently exceeds capacity.
March 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to confine litter to the solid waste management area
Failure to prevent leachate from entering surface waters
Insufficient intermediate cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
The Action Leakage Rate exceeded the regulatory limit.
Failure to clear accumulated sediment from ponds as requested
Multiple flowing breakouts
Excessive litter, including large pieces of foam
Failure to cover an area of protruding waste on south slope, which drains out of landfill
February 2003
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to compact waste in maximum 2’ thick lifts
Exceeding the 10’ maximum lift height
Failure to place seed and mulch immediately following intermediate cover placement
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Hyland has not rermoved accumulated sediment from ponds.
Hyland is placing waste on the drainage layer without removing non-select items.
Area of waste on south slope needs additional cover; protruding waste is visible.
January 2003
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Hyland must make a greater effort to retrieve litter that has blown across fields and in the woods.
A sudden thaw or rain event could result in dispersion of material out of landfill.
55-gallon drums upon inspection contained liquid petroleum and used oil.
Seed and mulch is not being placed immediately following intermediate cover placement.
Removal of accumulated sediment from ponds has not been completed.
December 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Mining landfill cover outside of the permitted mining area
Failure to promptly seed and mulch intermediate cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Accumulated sediment has not been removed from ponds.
The ‘high level’ alarm was on at the secondary sump and Hyland was doing nothing to correct it.
October 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to control dust generation in the landfill and preventing dust from leaving the landfill
Insufficient daily cover; protruding waste
AREAS OF CONCERN:
The silt fencing in the clay mine area is not being maintained.
August 2002
AREAS OF CONCERN:
A significant amount of sediment has accumulated in the storm water ponds.
Additional dust control is needed inside the landfill.
July 2002
AREAS OF CONCERN:
More dust control is needed.
Exposed waste near bottom of south slope
June 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Secondary collection seams installed incorrectly
Insufficient daily cover
Failure to control vectors – excessive numbers of birds and flies feeding on uncovered waste
Insufficient intermediate cover
AREAS OF CONCERN:
A significant amount of sediment has accumulated in the storm water ponds.
May 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Fourth lift of secondary clay liner material placed on top of the previous lift
AREAS OF CONCERN:
A large volume of groundwater flow could not be handled by the groundwater geocomposite.
Additional intermediate cover needed
Multiple leachate breakouts on the south slope not promptly remediated, despite previous notices
Staining visible down slope and outside the landfill
April 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Solid waste, including blowing litter, not sufficiently confined and controlled
March 2002
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover (2 separate citations)
Excessive wind blown litter
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Several areas of exposed waste
Additional plastic bags have blown into trees north and east of landfill; existing bags have not been
removed – “This has been a continuing problem at the facility over the past several months.”
February 2002
AREAS OF CONCERN:
The plastic bags that have blown into the trees north of the landfill must be removed.
There is no means to monitor the secondary containment because the leach detector parts were never
Installed.
January 2002
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Hyland has not been consistently in compliance with daily cover requirements.
The plastic bags that have blown into the trees north of the landfill must be removed.
It does not appear that improvements have been made to the sediment control devices.
Protruding and uncovered waste throughout the landfill
December 2001
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Litter remains in the trees north of the landfill.
Exposed area of waste on the south slope
November 2001
VIOLATIONS:
Insufficient daily cover (2 separate violations)
Unconfined litter (2 separate violations)
October 2001
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Insufficient daily cover
Areas of exposed, protruding, and tracked waste across the landfill
Disturbed areas, created during gas piping installation, have not been addressed
Excessive litter remained in the woods north of the landfill
September 2001
AREAS OF CONCERN:
Litter around the wetland area
Excessive dust due to off-road truck traffic
Burning holes through the geo-composite without Department approval
The groundwater sump design has changed without Department approval.
Areas of exposed waste