Chapter NR 516
LANDFILL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION
NR 516.04 General requirements. NR 516.05 Construction of landfill areas. NR 516.06 Closure of landfill areas. NR 516.07 Soil and geomembrane testing requirements. NR 516.08 Testing requirements for landfills with extended collection lines.
NR 516.01NR 516.01 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to help ensure that efficient, nuisance-free and environmentally acceptable solid waste management procedures are practiced in this state and to outline the requirements regarding testing and construction documentation for solid waste landfills. This chapter is adopted under s. 227.11, Stats., and ch. 289, Stats. NR 516.01 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, January, 1988, No. 385, eff. 2-6-88; am., Register, June, 1996, No. 486, eff. 7-1-96. NR 516.02(1)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b) and except as otherwise provided, this chapter governs all landfills as defined under s. 289.01 (20), Stats., including all CCR landfills and expansions as defined under s. NR 500.03 (26k) and (121m). NR 516.02(2)(2) This chapter does not apply to the design, construction or operation of industrial wastewater facilities, sewerage systems and waterworks treating liquid wastes approved under s. 281.41, Stats., or permitted under ch. 283, Stats., nor to facilities used solely for the disposal of liquid municipal or industrial wastes which have been approved under s. 281.41, Stats., or permitted under ch. 283, Stats., except for facilities used for the disposal of solid waste. NR 516.02 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, January, 1988, No. 385, eff. 2-6-88; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, May, 1994, No. 461; am. (1), Register, June, 1996, No. 486, eff. 7-1-96; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2006 No. 612; CR 13-057: am. (1) Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15; CR 21-076: renum. (1) to (1) (a) and (b) 1. to 4. and am., cr. (1) (b) (intro.) Register July 2022 No. 799, eff. 8-1-22; correction in (1) (a) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2022 No. 799. NR 516.03NR 516.03 Definitions. The terms used in this chapter are defined in s. NR 500.03. NR 516.03 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, January, 1988, No. 385, eff. 2-6-88. NR 516.04(1)(1) Report preparation. The landfill owner or operator shall prepare and submit a report documenting all aspects of construction for the initial construction of the landfill; the construction of all subsequent phases or portions thereof; the construction of any storm water, groundwater, leachate or gas control structures; the implementation of remedial actions; and the closure of each major disposal area. Approval of a report that documents the construction of any portion of the base of a landfill shall be obtained from the department prior to initiating disposal operations in the newly established area, unless the department does not issue a determination within 60 days after receiving a complete submittal, along with the appropriate review and construction inspection fees specified in ch. NR 520. NR 516.04(2)(2) Quality assurance. Construction and closure of all landfills shall comply with the following: NR 516.04(2)(a)(a) A registered professional engineer or qualified technician who is directly supervised by a professional engineer shall be continuously on-site and performing assigned quality assurance duties throughout the following: placement and testing of the clay component of the liner and cover systems, installation and testing of the geosynthetic components of liner and cover systems, all aspects of sump and sideslope riser construction or penetrations of the sidewall liner, manhole and tank installation, and placement of the drainage layer or cover soil above the geosynthetic liner. These personnel shall also be on-site to inspect the following activities after their completion: temporary and permanent erosion control measures such as ditches, fencing and sedimentation basins; subbase and leachate collection line undercut excavation and grading; clay liner surface preparation and grading, leachate, lysimeter and gas piping prior to their being covered with soil; piping with tanks, manholes or vaults and installation of instrumentation and controls; and gas extraction well heads. The department may require by written approval that a registered professional engineer be present during other critical construction activities. NR 516.04(2)(b)(b) With respect to par. (a), substitution of personnel shall only occur due to substandard performance, vacations or uncontrollable circumstances such as injury, illness, employee termination or resignation. However, if necessary in order to provide experienced personnel, geomembrane installation quality assurance may be performed by a different registered professional engineer or qualified technician directly supervised by that registered professional engineer. In no case, however, may the personnel performing quality assurance for geomembrane installation be employed by the geomembrane manufacturer, fabricator or installer. Also, where justified by the size of the construction project, multiple registered professional engineers or qualified technicians may perform quality assurance work concurrently. NR 516.04(3)(3) Certification. A certification section shall be included as the first section of any construction documentation report prepared for the construction or closure of a portion of a landfill and shall include the following: NR 516.04(3)(a)(a) The signed certification statement contained in s. NR 500.05 (4) as well as the seal of all registered professional engineers who either performed quality assurance work on the project or supervised qualified technicians who did so. NR 516.04(3)(b)(b) A table clearly identifying each registered professional engineer and qualified technician who performed quality assurance during the construction; which aspects of construction each person provided on site quality assurance for; the number of days each was present at the landfill performing quality assurance work; and the total hours each spent at the site performing quality assurance work. The table shall also clearly identify the registered professional engineer supervising each qualified technician. NR 516.04(3)(c)(c) A second table identifying who prepared each portion of the construction documentation report including both narrative and plan sheets. NR 516.04(3)(d)(d) Separate signed statements by the registered professional engineers identified in sub. (2) certifying to the best of their knowledge, information, and belief that the construction of each item identified in the following subdivisions was accomplished in conformance with the approved plans and all applicable solid waste administrative code requirements. All observed deviations and field modifications shall be explicitly noted and discussed including any changes in materials. This certification may not be construed to be either an implied or express guarantee or warranty regarding the performance of the construction documented in this report. No further qualifications to the certification statement may be made and each statement shall also clearly identify the personal observations, knowledge or other information on which the certification is based. NR 516.04(3)(d)1.1. The clay component of a liner or cap. The statement shall specifically address: NR 516.04(3)(d)1.a.a. The quality of clay material used and the methods utilized in its placement. NR 516.04(3)(d)1.c.c. Preparation of leachate collection trenches, sumps, gas header trenches and any pipe penetrations through the clay component. NR 516.04(3)(d)1.d.d. Preparation of the upper portions of the clay component or soil barrier layer component of a composite–lined or composite–capped landfill for installation of the geomembrane or GCL, including smoothness of the surface, removal of rocks and other foreign objects, and repair of the clay or soil barrier layer surface due to rain, rutting or other damage. NR 516.04(3)(d)1.e.e. Placement of soil or other materials placed over the composite liner or composite cap. NR 516.04(3)(d)2.2. Geomembranes, grids, fabrics, nets and appurtenances. The statement shall specifically address: NR 516.04(3)(d)2.b.b. Placement of geomembrane in collection trenches, sideslope riser sump areas and other irregularly shaped areas. NR 516.04(3)(d)2.c.c. Connections of geomembrane around leachate transfer pipes, gas extraction wells and any other penetration of the composite liner or composite cap. NR 516.04(3)(d)3.3. Elements of the construction relating to leachate or storm water routing, collection, storage and transportation as well as gas extraction systems. The statement shall include but not be limited to: construction of leachate collection and transfer lines, side slope risers for leachate pumping, all liner penetrations, collection tanks, manholes, lift stations, lysimeters, gas extraction system construction and leachate headwells. NR 516.04(3)(d)4.4. Elements of the construction relating to preparation of sub-base for an alternative liner design or in areas of unsuitable soil removal. Those elements shall include all of the following: NR 516.04(4)(4) Preconstruction meetings. For composite-lined or composite-capped landfills, a preconstruction meeting shall be scheduled prior to the initiation of construction for each phase of construction of the geomembrane component of the liner or cap. The meeting shall be used to clarify or confirm design changes, acceptability of selected construction materials and construction concepts or practices required in the approved plan of operation or identified in the preconstruction report. At a minimum, the meeting shall include the design engineer, the appropriate department district and central office staff, the engineer or engineers responsible for quality assurance of all aspects of construction and the geomembrane installer. NR 516.04(5)(5) Preconstruction reports. A preconstruction report shall be prepared for construction of each phase of a composite liner as well as each phase of a composite capping layer. The department may also require a preconstruction report for each phase of construction that utilizes other geosynthetics, or when other geosynthetic materials are used in significant structural features of the landfill. The preconstruction report shall be submitted to the department no later than 15 days prior to each of the preconstruction meetings for the construction of the geomembrane component of a composite liner or a composite capping layer. The preconstruction report shall include, at a minimum, all of the following: NR 516.04(5)(a)(a) Any revisions and detail diagrams incorporating all changes and instructions between the owner, the installer and the quality assurance contractor. The report shall highlight and explain any proposed changes to the information provided in the plan of operation as specified in s. NR 514.07 (1) (a) and (c) to (h). If, in the department’s opinion, major changes are proposed to previously approved plans, a plan modification approval will be required. The report shall indicate the proposed limits of installation and the schedule for construction. NR 516.04(5)(b)(b) Identification of the manufacturer of the geomembrane, GCL and other geosynthetics used in construction, manufacturer qualifications, technical specifications of the geomembrane resin and polymer selected, technical specifications for geotextile and reinforcement of the GCL, bentonite specifications used for manufacture of the GCL, and a table summarizing the results of the manufacturer’s quality control tests on the geomembranes and GCLs supplied to the project. NR 516.04(5)(bc)(bc) Identification of the fabricator of geotextiles and other geosynthetics used in site construction and technical specifications of the products and materials to be used. NR 516.04(5)(bg)(bg) Manufacturer specifications for geomembrane and other geosynthetics to be used, including all of the following:
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Department of Natural Resources (NR)
Chs. NR 500-599; Environmental Protection – Solid Waste Management
administrativecode/ch. NR 516
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