Monitoring

Potters Waste Management continually monitor the landfill site in accordance with the requirements of the Environment Agency and in accordance with our Permit.

Following the completion of a landfill operation, finished cells are covered with an engineered cap to ensure that no rainwater can percolate in and no gas or odour can escape from the landfill.

The effectiveness of the cap depends both on the properties and application of the capping materials and on the gas emission potential. The Environment Agency Guidance on Monitoring Landfill Gas Surface Emissions LFTGN07 requires that gas surface emissions are monitored to assess the integrity of the cap and the efficiency of the gas management system.

The recommended method of monitoring is the Flux-Box method, in conjunction with a portable Flame Ionising Detector (FID). This allows gas fluxes to be measured within a known enclosed volume at soil-air boundary.

FIDs measure the concentration of flammable gases such as volatile hydrocarbons, odorous VOCs and the like and are calibrated to CH4 with a detection range between 1 ppm and 1% CH4 (14,000 ppm).

Following monitoring, emission rates are calculated using the Guidance LFTGN07 calculation methodology. The results are then assessed against PPC Compliance to compile site-specific Pollution Inventories.