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From YouTube: Day in the Life :: Landfill
Description
Normally when you think of the Landfill, you probably think of just a place where trash is buried. However, the Buncombe County Solid Waste Department has many programs through the landfill that not only dispose of trash and improve our methods of recycling, but they even generate electricity with the gas created through its trash decomposition. So follow along with Landfill employees to learn all about these revolutionary processes, in a Day in the Life of the Solid Waste Department.
For more information about the Solid Waste Department, the landfill, Electronic Waste Recycling Day, the Gas-to-Energy Project, and more, visit buncombecounty.org/solidwaste.
Subscribe to stay up-to-date on all of our latest news & videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/bcgovtv.
For more information about Buncombe County Government, visit http://www.buncombecounty.org/.
A
Here
at
the
Buncombe
County
landfill
we're
standing
on
top
of
garbage,
that's
been
in
place
since
1997
when
the
facility
opened
we've
been
here
since
then
disposing
of
bunkum,
County's,
garbage
and
recycling,
all
those
recyclables,
it's
a
557,
acre
site.
We've
got
a
construction
and
demolition
landfill.
We
just
completed
a
expansion
for
that,
where
we're
gonna,
add
30
more
years
of
construction
and
demolition
landfill
space,
which
significantly
helps
save
space
in
our
line,
landfill,
which
is
where
all
the
bad
garbage
from
your
house
goes.
So
that's
a
big
help
for
us
behind
me.
A
You
see
the
generator,
which
is
our
landfill
gas
energy
facility.
So
not
only
are
we
managing
your
garbage
in
a
responsible
way
and
handling
all
those
recyclables.
We
also
have
a
lot
of
really
great
projects
that
we
do
out
here.
We've
got
the
ghast
energy
project,
which
you've
heard
a
lot
about
where
we're
generating
electricity
about
enough
for
1,100
homes.
Right
now,
we
hope
to
triple
that
capacity.
By
the
time
the
end
of
the
landfill
comes
around
so
in
another
20-30
years.
A
We
hope
to
have
two
more
of
those
generators,
so
we'd
be
putting
out
that
much
extra
power
and
part
of
what
feeds
that
power
is
the
other
project.
We've
got
the
bioreactor
project,
that's
through
the
United
States
Environmental
Protection
Agency
through
their
project
Excel,
which
is
excellence
in
leadership,
and
that's
where
we're
recirculating
leachate
into
the
landfill
feeding,
the
bugs
and
speeding
up
decomposition.
We
have
a
lot
of
goals
for
that
project
and
we're
constantly
checking
on
the
progress
of
that
project,
see
how
we're
meeting
those
goals.
A
B
My
job
is
to
push
the
trash
that
comes
in
and
pack
it.
The
machine
I
run
is
a
t-rex,
a
trash
master
which
pushes
the
trash
and
packs
it
been
here
about.
Eight
years
have
been
running
the
trash
master
for
the
past
four
and
a
half
years.
The
reason
compaction
is
so
important
in
landfill,
the
tighter
it's
packed,
the
less
air
space
you
use
and
the
more
space
you
have
for
trash,
which
makes
the
longevity
of
the
landfill
a
lot
longer.
So
compaction
is
one
of
the
most
important
thing.
B
Then
we
cover
a
dirt
so
to
keep
the
odors
and
rodents
and
stuff
I
got
out
of
it.
Every
day
we
have
a
positive
shell
that
we
had
to
spray
on
top
before
we
don't
cover
it
dirt.
That
way
it
keeps
the
boring
down.
Then,
if
you
notice
the
big
catch
fences
around
here,
we
have
catch
fences.
What
little
of
the
trash
does
blow
that
it
will
catch
it
and
confine
it
in
landfill.
B
Here
we
have
about
five
hundred
tons
of
refuge,
come
in
every
day
that
we
have
to
spread
and
cover,
and
everything
and
this
area
here
is
area
number
one,
which
is
it's
a
lion
land
field
which
in
other
words
we
have
another
area.
That's
in
the
area
that
it's
more
for,
like
I,
said
construction
and
stuff
that
you
don't
worry
about
getting
any
water
systems
for
lined
landfill.
It
confines
everything
within
area.
B
Then
we
pump
the
leachate
water
out
to
a
holding
pond,
and
then
we
pump
it
back
into
the
cover
of
the
landfill
to
make
it
rot
faster
and
when
it
deteriorates
faster
than
everything
it
puts
off
more
methane
gas,
and
we
have
a
generator
here
that
runs
off
the
methane
gas
that
we,
you
know,
produce
electricity.
My.
C
Name
is
Aaron
Mackenzie
I'm
the
power
plant
operator
at
the
Logan
County
landfill
for
the
solid
waste
department.
My
job
as
a
power
plant
operator
is
to
keep
the
generator
running
and
to
balance
and
optimize
the
landfill
gas
well
field,
and
also
to
keep
up
with
the
data
collection
for
the
carbon
credits
we're
sitting
out
here
today
for
the
mascara
system.
We've
got
two
computers
here
this
one
over
here
it
collects
the
data
from
the
generator
and
the
blower
skid,
and
this
one
over
here
records
the
data.
C
This
is
basically
just
a
schematic
overview
of
some
of
the
major
systems.
It's
running
it
14:27
kilowatts,
so
that's
1.4
megawatts
the
computer.
Actually
will
not
let
you
turn
it
up
any
higher
than
that.
This
spreadsheet
here,
like
every
day
it'll
at
15-minute
intervals,
it'll
record
the
total
gas
flow,
the
individual
cylinder
temperatures
to
make
sure
that
it's
above
500
degrees
Fahrenheit
because
they
want
to
make
sure
the
methane
is
destroyed.
C
So
there's
20
cylinders
on
the
generator
and
each
one
of
those
is
the
temperatures
logged
every
15
minutes
24/7
now
we're
gonna
walk
around
and
do
our
daily
log.
This
is
basically
where
I
go
around
and
read
the
instruments
and
just
check
check
out
the
Machine,
see
where
it's
running
we
saw
earlier
the
digital,
the
digital
readouts,
but
it's
always
good
to
come
physically.
Look
at
the
machine
just
to
make
sure
nothing
is
obviously
wrong.
C
What
we
have
here,
the
gas
comes
in
to
the
plant
through
the
the
promotes
stainless
tubing
into
what's
commonly
referred
to
as
a
gas
conditioning
system.
This
one's
fairly
simple,
it
just
compresses
the
gas
up
to
five
pounds,
and
it
has
an
air
cooler
to
cool
it
down
to
about
85
degrees.
The
landfill
gas
depending
on
ambient
temperature
can
be
anywhere
between
a
hundred
to
sixty
degrees
coming
in
just
depending
on
the
time
of
year,
and
what
this
machine
does
it?
C
Stabilizes
the
temperature
around
85
degrees,
filter
out
some
of
the
larger
particles,
so
they
don't
reach
the
engine
and
it
also
has
a
lot
of
monitoring.
This
is
just
flow
methane,
quality
temperature
pressure
and
we'll
go
over
here
and
over
here.
It
goes
into
the
generator
it's
just
a
stationary
20
cylinder
engine
with
a
generator
on
the
back.
It's
kind
of
similar
to
a
railway
locomotive,
it's
just
it
just
sits
there
and
it
runs
a
generator.
C
Usually,
on
a
typical
day
after
I've,
inspected
generator
and
everything
appears
to
be
fine,
I'll
go
sample.
Some
gas
wells
I
need
to
make
a
minimum
of
two
complete
trips
a
month
around
there,
hopefully
more,
the
more
I
look
at
them,
the
better,
the
better
gas
going
to
the
generator,
the
better
it
runs.
So
it
just
it's
one
of
those
things,
the
more
I
do
it.
The
better
I
talk
for
a
moment
about
a
leachate
recirculation
in
landfill.
C
The
first
thing
we
had
I
was
up
on
the
landfill
and
I
was
actually
opening
up
vertical
and
horizontal
wells.
They
are
very
similar
to
Wells,
you
might
use
for
normal
groundwater.
It's
just
a
slotted
pipe
there
they're
laid
within
the
garbage,
and
the
purpose
is
to
wet
the
garbage
to
increased
decomposition
of
the
trash
help
aid.
C
The
enteric
bacteria
that
produced
the
methane
and
occurred
settlement
of
the
mass-
and
it's
hoped
by
aiding
the
bacteria
that
have
more
methane
production
for
the
generator,
and
if
you
can
increase
the
rate
of
settlement
that
will
aid
in
possibly
creating
more
room
for
garbage
in
the
future
down
there,
we
would
saw
the
leachate
pond.
That's
where
all
the
leachate
comes
from
the
landfill.
It's
the
liquid
never
leaves
the
lined
liner.
It
doesn't
go
into
groundwater.
Anyhow,
there's
there's
like
several
compacted
clay
like
a
60,
mil
poly
plastic
sheet.
C
If
you
will
and
then
you
know
the
masses
above
it
and
these
pumps
are
within
the
mass
and
they
take
the
leachate
pump
it
out
into
that
pond
and
as
you
can
see
in
to
those
pictures,
there
were
two
large
HDPE
pipes
going
into
the
pond.
There
are
a
couple
pumps
there.
Each
pump
can
pump
about
normally
250
gallons
a
minute
into
those
wells
that
we'd
opened
up
early
earlier
and
until
ideas
we
recirculate
the
leachate.
It
keeps
landfill
happy
and
we
cut
down
on
costs
for
having
to
truck
the
leachate
out
and
tankers.
C
Obviously,
when
you
have
a
big
amount
of
garbage,
there's
no
oxygen
inside
in
that
anaerobic
environment
without
oxygen,
there
are
certain
bacteria
that
grow
and
one
of
the
byproducts
of
heart
Dakar
burns
such
as
methane,
which
is
ch4,
and
they
also
give
off
nitrogen.
The
methane
that
we're
pulling
out
is
I
what
we're
running
the
generator
off
of,
and
it's
very
important,
not
to
introduce
oxygen
into
the
system
or
oxygen
into
the
landfill.
Because
then
you'll
you'll
kill
these
anaerobic
bacteria.
They
just
don't
exist
in
the
presence
of
oxygen
in
the
wintertime.
C
We
typically
don't
recirculate
leachate,
because
the
anaerobic
bacteria,
like
warmth,
a
lot
of
times
the
gas
temperature,
is
around
90
100
degrees.
And
if
we
were
to
inject
leachate
water,
like
you
know
below
50
degrees,
we've
kind
of
used
our
benchmark,
we
possibly
kill
the
bacteria
and
that
would
have
a
detrimental
effect
on
the
methane
production
and
you
know,
obviously,
the
bugs
wouldn't
eat
as
much
garbage
and
stuff.
C
A
Essentially,
what
I'm
doing
today
is
sampling
the
leachate
out
of
every
cell
for
our
bioreactor
project
excel
US
EPA
program.
The
US
EPA
Excel
program
stands
for
excellence
in
leadership,
so
we're
helping
collect
data
and
analyze
data
for
the
EPA
for
some
federal
rule,
changes
that
are
possible
down
the
road.
So
what
I'm
doing
today
is
essentially
part
of
the
agreement
we
made
with
them
back
in
2003,
where
we
sample
leachate
kind
of
tell
how
the
garbage
is
decomposing,
how
everything's
working
with
leachate
recirculation.
A
This
allows
us
to
see
if
leachate
recirculation
is
impacting
the
landfill
garbage
and
decomposition
process,
sometimes
putting
that
same
water
back
in
over
and
over
and
over
can
spike
certain
things
like
ammonia,
that
aren't
ideal
for
the
bugs
living
in
the
landfill.
So
we're
basically
watching
this
stuff
all
the
time
to
make
sure
that
we're
not
impacting
those
bugs
so
that
we
can
generate
the
gas
for
our
guests
energy
project.
So
I've
got
different
types
of
bottles
for
different
types
of
monitoring
that
we
do
for
the
project
Excel
program.
A
We
do
Bo
d5,
which
is
biological
oxygen
demand.
We
do
see
a
D
which
is
chemical
oxygen
demand.
We
do
pH,
ammonia
and
specific
conductance
and
all
those
parameters
were
picked
with
our
stakeholders
that
are
in
the
university
research
sector,
that
kind
of
helped
design
the
monitoring
program
so
that
we
could
track
decomposition
over
time.
So
that's
what
all
these
sample
bottles
are
for
and
then
all
these
will
get
filled
up
today
with
all
the
different
cells
and
the
leachate
pond.
A
So
there
are
six
active
cells
and
the
leachate
pond
so
there'll
be
seven
of
these
bottles
filled
today,
so
I'm
gonna
go
ahead
and
label
these
and
we'll
get
started
sampling
here
at
cell
5.
So
essentially,
what
I'm
doing
here
is
it's
so
fun
I'm,
starting
here,
you'll,
see
me
get
into
our
sample
box.
It's
a
vault
box
where
I
could
pull
leachate
out
at
the
very
bottom
of
the
landfill.
This
one
is
about
a
hundred
something
feet
down.
You
can
turn
the
pump
on
it's
at
the
very
bottom.
A
A
The
lab
data
we
get
back
from
the
lab
goes
into
these
spreadsheets,
and
this
goes
all
the
way
back
to
2007.
So
we've
got
years
and
years
and
years
worth
of
data
that
we've
been
tracking.
We
also
have
a
website
the
Buncombe
bioreactor
website,
but
all
of
the
data
is
uploaded
to
so
that
North
Carolina
Department
of
the
Environment
Natural
Resources,
döner
and
EPA
can
review
it.
A
So
this
is
kind
of
an
example.
It
was
all
the
way
back
to
o7.
We
were
able
to
track
how
that
leachate
and
that
environment
within
the
landfill
is
performing
over
time.
We're
able
to
monitor
the
environment
inside
the
landfill
we're
able
to
see
how
quickly
garbage
is
decomposing
if
we're
injecting
leachate
into
a
certain
area,
and
we
see
a
spike
of
something.
A
We
know
that
we
will
inject
into
a
different
trench
and
let
that
one
settle
out
for
a
while
and
then
if
we
see
our
gas
production
is
doing
really
well
in
a
certain
section
that
helps
us
know
that
the
leachate
is
doing
a
good
job
there.
And
then,
if
we
have
another
section,
that
maybe
is
an
underperformer
will
note
it
and
try
to
inject
a
little
more
leachate
there
to
kind
of
feed
those
bugs
and
keep
that
environment
going.
A
Adding
leachate
definitely
speeds
up
the
process
of
decomposition,
which
ultimately
means
you
get
more
gas
to
produce
more
power.
So
that's,
ultimately,
what
we're,
after
that
and
we're
not
having
to
haul
trucks
down
riverside
drive
to
MSD,
to
get
rid
of
leachate,
we're
able
to
treat
it
on-site,
recycle
it
back
through
the
garbage
and
handle
it
that
way,
we're
standing
here
on
the
second
phase
of
the
bioreactor
project.
This
is
the
phase
to
build
as
you
go,
which
is
a
huge
milestone
for
the
Buncombe
County
for
the
bioreactor
project.
A
We've
been
waiting
for
a
while
for
our
garbage
and
self
6
to
be
at
an
elevation
where
we
can
lay
some
new
leachate
injection
lines,
and
that's
where
we're
standing
now
is
the
new
injection
line.
So
these
are
our
new
valves.
This
is
you
put
the
leachate
into
the
landfill.
This
is
how
you
extract
the
gas
out.
A
So
if
you
want
to
pull
the
gas
out
you'd
open
this
valve
and
send
it
to
our
gas
to
energy
facility
to
produce
some
more
power,
if
you
want
to
inject
some
liquids,
you
can
open
this
valve
and
once
you
open
this
valve,
it
sends
the
leachate
from
the
leachate
pond
up
this
hill
and
into
these
trenches,
and
all
these
trenches
are
buried
in
garbage.
They've
got
about
twenty
to
forty
feet
of
garbage
below
them,
and
we've
got
five
trenches
where
we
can
inject
leachate.
A
If
that,
how
far
that
leachate
is
able
to
travel
through
the
garbage,
which
is
a
big
question
out
there,
nobody
truly
knows
how
far
that
leachate
can
distribute
into
that
garbage,
and
it
will
also
be
able
to
tell
us
in
the
winter
time
if
we
can
recirculate
in
the
winter
right
now,
if
it
gets
below
50
degrees.
We
we
stop
recirculating,
so
that
the
environment
in
the
landfill
is
still
conducive
to
those
bugs
to
generate
that
gas.
A
D
Today
is
household
hazardous
waste
collection,
we
do
it
every
Friday
from
9
o'clock
to
3
o'clock.
Basically,
what
we
do
is
the
main
purpose
of
the
hhw
program
is
to
separate
the
hazardous
chemicals,
the
toxic
bleaching
properties
out
of
waste
that
could
be
harmful
to
the
environment
or
to
the
groundwater.
We
try
to
keep
that
out
of
the
landfill.
Basically,
we've
got
several
different
stations
where
I'm
standing
now
is
the
chemical
composition
area.
D
We
do
pH
and
we
basically
look
at
what
the
chemical
is:
we're
not
set
up
to
take
anything
other
than
household
waste,
household,
hazardous
waste,
household
chemicals.
Things
like
that.
So
basically
we're
looking
at
the
containers
looking
to
see
if
there's
something
that
you
know
would
would
come
from
a
household
and
bicycle
we're
diagnosing
the
properties
of
it
and
upfront
you
can
see.
This
is
a
combustible,
combustible,
chemical,
marine
formula,
so
we
know
right
away.
D
You
know
we
can
start
there
as
far
as
the
hazard
class
goes
on
it
and
we
would
look
to
see
if
there's
any
other
hazards
that
would
be
of
concern,
and
the
next
thing
we
want
to
do
is
take
a
pH
to
make
sure
that
it's
consistent
with
what
the
container
shows,
because
you
know
a
lot
of
times,
people
may
switch
containers
out
put
a
different
type
of
chemical
in
there.
So
that's
one
thing
we
have
to
watch
for,
and
that
varies
pH
and
clear,
which
looks
to
be
a
hydrocarbon
petroleum
distillate.
D
D
We'll
take
a
Pho
on
it
and
the
pH
is
looking
it's
it's
coming
out
around
the
around
8
or
9
area,
so
a
little
more
on
the
base
side
of
neutral.
So
we
would
go
ahead
and
label
that
as
such,
we
have
3
a
3
bay
explosion,
proof
building
over
there
that
we
separate
these
chemicals,
there's
a
flammable
room,
there's
a
alkaline
/
oxidizer
room
and
there's
also
acid
based
room.
D
So
that's
that's
where
we
separate
here
when
we're
separating
the
chemicals
put
them
on
the
car
and
take
them
to
the
appropriate
area
tour,
we
can
store
them
properly.
It's
in
a
contained
area
with
secondary
containment
as
well-
and
we
know
it's
gonna
be
safe
in
there
until
it
comes
time
for
us,
you
know
once
the
containers
are
full,
whatever
we're
packing
and
we
can
get
those
ready
to
ship
out
to
our
to
our
vendor
3rc,
which
goes
through
the
recycling
process.
We're
all
trained
up
here
to
do
different
things.
D
A
Is
a
Friday
typical
Friday
at
the
landfill
we're
in
household
hazardous
waste
at
our
light,
bulb
collection,
recycling
area,
this
tables,
where
we
process
the
light
bulbs
from
the
residential
customers
that
come
in
this
is
a
typical
load.
We
get
from
somebody's
car.
You've
got
your
fluorescent
light
from
somewhere
in
the
house.
You've
got
all
these
little
fluorescent
lights
that
go
in
your
lamps
in
your
bathroom,
so
we
cycle
all
these
and
all
these
get
wrapped
up
and
boxed.
A
They
have
to
get
counted
for,
do
T
shipping
standards,
and
then
we
have
a
barrel
over
here
and
that's
where
the
four-foot
tubes
go,
that
get
recycled
from
your
garage,
your
kitchen,
that
type
of
place
and
there's
green
tip
lights.
You
saw
in
there.
Those
are
those
are
less
mercury-containing
lights.
Then
the
Anan
green
tipped
ones.
So
if
you
ever
want
to
buy
the
less
mercury,
that's
the
best
one
to
buy,
who
want
to
keep
the
mercury
out
of
the
landfill
out
of
the
ground
water
out
of
the
environment.
A
So
when
we
process
them
here
they
get
recycled,
they
don't
have
to
bring
it
all
the
way
out.
Here
we
have
a
program
for
fire
departments,
there's
12
fire
departments
throughout
the
county.
You
can
bring
your
light
bulbs.
There
is
a
size
limit,
they
don't
have
a
whole
lot
of
room,
so
it's
mostly
just
for
these
small
CFLs
and
a
couple
tubes.
Just
from
your
house,
you
know
a
couple
lights
at
a
time
is
what
you
can
take
out
there
on
our
website.
A
You'll
see
all
the
12
fire
departments,
they're
scattered
all
cardinal
directions
at
the
county.
So
hopefully
you
can
find
one
close
to
your
house.
Home
Depot
and
Lowe's
have
drop
boxes
in
the
front
of
the
buildings.
So
if
you
go
in
and
you
have
some
light
bulbs,
you
can
drop
into
their
little
recycling
bin.
So
you
don't
have
to
worry
about
going
to
the
fire
department
either
for
I
believe
mostly
what
they
take.
Are
these
type?
They
don't
take
the
big
8
footers
that
you
see
over
here
and
I.
A
Typical
day
at
the
landfill
is
not
really
ever
a
typical
day,
you
never
know.
What's
going
to
happen,
we're
always
got
customers
coming
in
with
recyclables
with
garbage.
We
have
a
household
hazardous
waste
day
getting
out
in
the
field,
checking
some
of
our
sentiment:
detention
ponds
for
myself,
those
get
checked,
weekly
for
division
of
water
quality
with
the
state
regulators.
We
also
have
erosion
permits
that
are
active
for
some
of
our
construction
projects.
A
Go
on
so
I'm
getting
around
and
checking
on
those
and
make
sure
the
erosion
control
is
in
place
is
a
typical
daily
activity.
Checking
on
all
the
leachate
pumps,
making,
sure
they're
operational,
usually
daily,
especially
after
a
lot
of
rain
recirculating
leachate
on
any
given
day,
is
another
common
practice
and
then
some
of
the
work
I've
shown
you
today
is
something
that
happens
about
every
three
months
where
we
compile
all
the
data
and
then
on
a
daily
basis.