Enhanced Field Inspections of Closed Landfills Using Aerial Orthophotography in Illinois
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 22, Issue 1
Abstract
Most closed landfills in Illinois are inadequately lined former dumps with thin earthen covers. Customary walkover inspections of these legacy landfills can overlook defects in the cover and surrounding area that increase threats to human health and water resource quality. Publicly available aerial orthophotography and light detection and ranging (lidar) data were interpreted for 10 closed, managed landfills in Illinois. Visible and near-infrared data were enhanced by histogram stretching, normalized difference vegetation index, iron oxide index, and images draped over lidar data to improve recognition of defects and features of interest. Image interpretation keys were used and confidence levels assigned to create previsit maps showing deformation features, including depressions and dimples that collect runoff, gullies eroding into earthen covers, slope instability, wet and barren spots that may be outlets for leachate seeps, and vegetation anomalies that can indicate outgassing. Defects on inspection maps were ordered for on-site reconnaissance. Changes observed from comparing historical and current imagery and geographic information system–based defect-tracking databases can provide a basis for scheduling maintenance and prioritizing repairs for sustainable postclosure and custodial landfill management.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to the following for their advice, comments, and suggestions: Jeff Turner, Environmental Protection Geologist, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; scientists and engineers from several cooperating consulting firms; landfill owners, managers, inspectors, and operators, whose cooperation is greatly appreciated; and Andrew Sumpf (remote sensing, soil, GIS, database management, solid waste management, and critical review of the manuscript), Donald E. Luman (lidar), Melony Barrett (GIS), Keros Cartwright (history of landfill studies), Donald Keefer and Edward Mehnert (landfill inventory), Jason Thomason (review), Andrew Anderson (consultation), Susan Krusemark (editing), and colleagues at the Illinois State Geological Survey, Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who contributed to this study. Brad Bennett, Assistant City Engineer for the City of Urbana, Illinois, provided information about groundwater levels in one of the landfills and background information on postclosure maintenance, and reviewed the manuscript. Scott Tess, also of the City of Urbana, arranged access for multiple aspects of the research and reviewed the manuscript. Through discussions over decades regarding nearly every aspect of landfills and his review of this paper, Dr. Nicholas Schneider’s contributions to this research are much appreciated. Dr. Caleb Holyoke, University of Akron, recommended the term dimples to denote a small, shallow negative topographic feature developed in a landfill cover. We are also grateful to anonymous reviewers for their comments.
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Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 22 • Issue 1 • January 2018
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 17, 2017
Accepted: Apr 3, 2017
Published online: Sep 14, 2017
Published in print: Jan 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Feb 14, 2018
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