Newsletter Volume No., Issue No.

Florida Landfill Leads Industry in Waste Disposal Methods

Since its beginning in 1990, the New River Regional Landfill (NRRL) has been an innovator in the field of solid waste management. Managing nearly 1,000 tons of waste per day from six Florida counties, NRRL has become a laboratory experiment in the research of efficient means to decompose waste. At this facility, located in Union County, Fla., innovative methods,and the search of innovative methods, to dispose and decompose solid waste are routinely employed.

“New River is very fortunate to have a Board of Directors who have demonstrated their commitment to continue and expand our efforts to recycle even though state funding for this program have ceased to exist,” said Darrell O’Neal, executive director of the New River Solid Waste Association. “It shows their progressive thinking and actions for future generations in our community.”

In 1998, NRRL started to receive solid waste from Baker, Bradford, Union, Alachua, Levy and Gilchrist counties, and became the first multi-county regional landfill facility in the state of Florida. The facility was the first in the country to install Jones Edmunds & Associates Bioreactor-Ready Bottom Liner System in one of two of its solid waste disposal cells in 1999. The second installation followed in 2001. The new design resulted in construction and operation improvements over traditional bottom liner systems for municipal solid waste landfills. The system features a highly-transmissive geonet to eliminate the leachate collection lateral pipes and surrounding gravel with geotextile wrap present in traditional saw-tooth bottom liner designs.

The NRRL was named in the funding legislation to host the Florida Bioreactor Demonstration project. The proposed project will develop and demonstrate a fully-instrumented landfill cell, engineered from the start as a bioreactor facility.

The demonstration will include recirculation of leachate, injection of air into the landfill, and the ability to collect gaseous emissions from the test cell.

Project research is being conducted under the guidance of Dr. Timothy Townsend (University of Florida) and Dr. Debra Reinhart (University of Central Florida), the top two authorities in the world on bioreactor technology and co-authors of the book, Landfill Bioreactor Design and Operation. The bioreactor will be operated by the Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management.

In addition to using new methods of landfill management, NRRL stands on the forefront of the state’s recycling program. Although not obligated by law to recycle, the New River Solid Waste Association (NRSWA) has been proactive in this arena, making it the only regional recycling facility in the state

The facility also handles collecting and processing of recyclables, as well as special wastes such as waste tires, white goods, asbestos, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and mercury containing devices (MCDs). The facility is actively involved, and encourages the recycling efforts of residential communities and commercial businesses.

In addition to educating the community about recycling, the NRSWA staff remains dedicated to collecting, transporting, processing and marketing recyclables. Whenever possible, NRSWA purchases materials that contain recycled content. This is especially prevalent in the purchase of office supplies and materials used in recycling education.

“We are blessed with talented and hard-working staff that is ever ready to meet new challenges to advance our waste diversion goals,” O’Neal said.

Due to their creativity in applying technological, operational, and
management strategies, and by working closely with its engineering and academic partners, Jones Edmunds & Associates, Darabi & Associates, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida, the NRRL continues to blaze the trail of innovative solid waste and landfill management. NRRL is a model facility used to exemplify Florida’s goals in solid waste management, and is routinely used as a laboratory and showpiece, bringing visitors from around the world to view its facilities.

As the geographic center of Florida, Polk County lies equally distant from the east and west coast and halfway between the Georgia-Florida border and the Southern tip of the peninsula. In 1860, the State of Florida divided Hillsborough County into eastern and west ern halves. The eastern half was named Polk, after the 11th President of the United States, James Knox Polk.

The county is expected to grow at a rate of approximately four percent each year, and with approximately 2,010 square miles, it is Florida’s fourth largest county. Managing the solid waste for the county’s citizens is no small task, yet the Polk County Solid Waste Division takes a proactive role to make sure the waste is properly managed with one of the finest landfill facilities and solid waste programs in the State. For example, comprehensive recycling and educational outreach programs encourage all residents to take responsibility for their waste and help preserve the environment.

Committed to the long-term health, safety and protection of its residents and the environment, the Polk County Solid Waste Division continues to remain focused on its mission: to provide excellent service to Polk County Residents, add value to its employees, protect the environment, and reduce operating costs through effective use of resources.