Council Approves Landfill Remediation Plans

During the Jan. 28 meeting of the Coventry Town Council, a presentation was made by Attorney Richard Sherman and Alliance Environment Consultant Richard Hittinger with regards to the remediation and closure of the inactive Coventry Landfill located on Arnold Road.

The presentation was a follow-up to a Dec. 10, 2012 landfill discussion and described in detail what is known as the Beneficial Use Determination (BUD) program. The program involves asking the RI Dept. of Environmental Management (DEM) to approve the use of slightly contaminated materials to reshape the landfill as part of the remediation process. Examples of such materials include urban fill from construction/excavation projects, catch basin cleanings, street sweepings and dredged materials. According to the presentation, the use of BUD materials in the closure of the landfill will result in significant cost savings to the Town.

The proposed process includes capping of the landfill with a 2-foot thick clean soil cap with gas vents, active treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater and a change of groundwater classification under the landfill to non-drinking water quality. An Environmental Land Usage Restriction on landfill property will be imposed along with a Town ordinance to prohibit the use of groundwater for potable purposes in areas downgradient of the landfill until the water meets drinking quality standards. Long-term monitoring of landfill gas and groundwater will also be required post-closure. See the attached PDF presentation for complete project details.

Beginning in early 2007 through November 2012, the Town of Coventry implemented a 12-step DEM Remediation Regulations program which included the submission of multiple landfill site investigation and groundwater monitoring reports, Vapor Intrusion evaluations and soil studies among other data collection methods. With the completion of this program, the Town issued a public notice to residents in the vicinity of the landfill notifying them of the Jan. 28 presentation - an action required by DEM in order to receive approval to proceed with the remediation project. 

After discussing record-keeping, material inspection and site operation time procedures as well as dust, odor, traffic and noise controls during the project, Town Council members approved Town Manager Tom Hoover's resolution to submit a DEM application for BUD program authorization.