Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 45, November 9, 2024
Section 273.254 - Secondary liner(a)Performance standards. The secondary liner shall meet the following requirements: (1) It shall prevent the migration of leachate through the liner to the greatest degree that is technologically possible.(2) The effectiveness of it in preventing the migration of leachate may not be adversely affected by the physical or chemical characteristics of solid waste, solid waste constituents or leachate from the facility.(3) It shall be resistant to physical failure, chemical failure and other failure from the sources identified under § 273.161(d) (relating to liner system and leachate control plan).(b)Alternative design requirements. Unless alternative design requirements to meet the performance standards in subsection (a) are approved as part of the permit under § 271.231 (relating to equivalency review procedure), the secondary liner shall meet, at a minimum, the requirements of the table in § 273.256(e) (relating to primary liner).(c)Requirements. A secondary liner shall: (1) Be no more permeable than 1 x 10-7 cm./sec. based on laboratory and field testing.(2) Be installed according to manufacturer's specifications under the supervision of an authorized representative of the manufacturer if the liner is synthetic. An approved quality assurance and quality control plan shall be implemented in the field during the installation of the liner.(3) Be designed, installed and maintained according to a quality assurance and quality control plan approved by the Department if the liner is remolded clay.(4) Be inspected for uniformity, damage and imperfections during construction and installation.(d)Compacted lifts. Secondary liners made of clay, bentonite and bentonite-like materials shall be constructed in compacted lifts not exceeding 6 inches in depth unless the operator submits data from a field demonstration validating the suitability of compacted lifts greater than 6 inches. A lift shall be scarified before placement of the next lift.(e)Composite secondary liner. (1) If the operator does not design, construct, operate and maintain a composite primary liner, the operator shall design, construct, operate and maintain a composite secondary liner which has the following components:(i) An upper component made of a manufactured geosynthetic liner that meets the requirements of this section independently of the composite component.(ii) A composite component made of earthen material that meets the requirements of this section independently of the upper component, except that the composite component may be no more permeable than 1.0 x 10-7 cm/sec. based on laboratory and field testing and, at a minimum, meets the requirements of the table in § 273.256(e).(2) The two components of the composite liner shall be designed, constructed and maintained to provide a compression connection, or direct, continuous, and uniform contact, between them.(3) The use of a composite secondary liner does not relieve the operator of responsibility for a separate primary liner under § 273.256.(f)Natural attenuation of leachate prohibited. A facility or a component thereof that is subject to this chapter may not have a secondary liner based upon natural attenuation of leachate.The provisions of this §273.254 amended December 22, 2000, effective 12/23/2000, 30 Pa.B. 6685. This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 273.161 (relating to liner system and leachate control plan); 25 Pa. Code § 273.251 (relating to scope and requirements); 25 Pa. Code § 273.256 (relating to primary liner); and 25 Pa. Code § 285.123 (relating to impoundments-general).