Odors, leaching, rising costs, upset neighbors, and ever-changing EPA regulations: As you may already know, controlling your dust can help mitigate all of these problems.

Of course, the first step in controlling a dust problem is determining the scope of your problem and understanding how (and if) various factors can be limited.

Water is the Solution, and Part of the Problem
Clearly, water conservation is critical and becoming more so. Managing dust levels in a landfill and implementing water conservation programs present like the classic chicken and egg questions – which comes first?

The answer is, the work must be simultaneous. Can you reduce dust levels and water usage at the same time? YES, EnviroTech Services Inc. can help in this matter.

The Larimer County (Colorado) Landfill, operating six days a week, worked diligently to define its dust problem and implement a number of changes with the goal of reducing both dust and water usage. As a result of those changes, the Larimer County Landfill is using 84,000 fewer gallons of water each week, amounting to a savings of more than four million gallons of water per year. See the savings for yourself, just read about the full case study here.

While using the BioPreferred®, humectant X-Hesion Pro® (XPro) was clearly an important factor in Larimer County’s significant improvements in water conservation, it was possible because the landfill took a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem.

Thorough Analysis Needed
A site analysis need not be highly technical, but thoroughness is critical. Here is a very basic overview of the steps required:

• Documentation and monitoring variations in soil and road conditions
• Climate analysis to include seasonal changes in humidity, temperature, wind
• Daily traffic count, taking into consideration various types of vehicles and any known heavy demands (for instance, during harvest season)
• Peak dust times and locations
• Current water usage, budget, expectations, and current and pending regulatory requirements Waste Advantage Magazine wrote about Larimer’s success in its January issue. 

Tweaking New Processes Improves Ongoing Results
At the risk of stating the obvious, in a landfill, dust control is a complex problem. Like most complex problems, the “solution” is really a process – one that needs to be constantly reassessed and adjusted to continue to address the problem.

Another Reason to Manage Moisture Levels
Generally, higher moisture levels encourages bacterial decomposition, which increases gas production in landfills. If your facility collects or is considering collecting methane Landfill Gas, you might want to review the EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP).

Dust Control problems don’t resolve themselves. Take the first step in addressing the problem by requesting a FREE site evaluation and dust reading. No matter what the reading levels, you are certain to learn something about your facility (and dust problem) in the process. 

EnviroTech Services, Inc., a Greeley, Colorado based Small Business manufacturer of problem solving products for the de-icing and dust control markets.  Over 26 years of "People Helping People Help the Environment".