Solid Waste
Planning, Systems Evaluation, Alternatives Analyses, Landfill Investigation and Monitoring, Leachate and Methane Plume Investigation and Mitigation
Sand County Environmental is a leading provider of environmental consulting services for an array of environmental issues facing solid waste facilities across the Midwestern United States.
Sand County Environmental sets itself apart as solid waste consultants by emphasizing environmentally sound solutions to solid waste matters. Inherent in our evaluation and recommendation processes are considerations for sustainability and energy conservation, in addition to public health and fiscal efficiency. We include environmentally sound practices in any solution we develop, and we avoid extensively and exclusively engineered applications. An example is our use of phytotechnologies for leachate treatment and volume reduction. Another is our practice of incorporating solar energy (e.g., for leachate pumping and gas extraction) when power sources are required and relying on intrinsic processes (e.g., gravity flow and passive venting) where powered systems can be avoided.
Landfill-related services that Sand County Environmental is routinely asked to perform for our clients include:
- Investigations of leachate impacts in groundwater and landfill gas migration in soils
- Designing and conducting groundwater and gas monitoring programs
- Installing groundwater and landfill gas remediation systems, involving both traditional-type and modern phytotechnology-based solutions
- Design and installation of on-site, plant-based leachate irrigation and treatment systems
- Design and installation of alternative covers, using plants and soils to minimize leachate generation
- Groundwater geochemical ‘fingerprinting’ and source determinations
A core principal of Sand County Environmental’s approach to landfill management is that solutions should take into account the long timeframes typically required for management of leachate and landfill gas, and the energy inputs (and associated carbon outputs) required of traditional management systems. Wherever possible, we strive to offer permanent, plant-based, solar powered treatment systems that require the minimum of human, financial, and energy resources.