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i <br />40 <br />Contaminated Clay Renlacemem <br />The construction of the Indian River County Landfill Infill Cell required the placement of a <br />liner system to act as a barrier to leachate infiltration to the groundwater. The bottom liner <br />system consists of a high density polyethylene primary liner on top and a clay secondary liner <br />underneath. The construction of the clay liner requires the clay to be placed in four-six inch <br />layers. Each clay layer, called a lift, is well mixed, compacted, and tested before the next layer <br />is placed. <br />A rain event in May 194$ washed sand into the clay liner system along the south western edge <br />of Segment II. The clay liner system was two lifts thick at the time of the sand contamination. <br />Alger the rain event, leachate also seeped from the open cut along Segment 11. The open cut <br />was required to reveal the edge of the existing cell for the synthetic liner tie-in. The leachate <br />seepage contaminated the clay further. The tainted clay was removed from the Infill area and <br />replaced with new clean clay. <br />Waste Management Inc. of Florida (WMIF) submitted a claim for tate costs of removing tate <br />contaminated clay and installing replacement clay. WMIF did not feel it was their <br />responsibility to control the unexpected leachate seepage. After determining the total amount <br />of impacted clay with WMIF, CDM recommends Indian River County SWDD pay only half of <br />the amount of the claim. The rationale being the contractor should pay for the removal of the <br />sand contamination because of their obligation to control stormwater runoff. However, <br />because the presence of the leachate seepage, which is not considered stormwater, CRM <br />believes it is fair to reimburse the contractor for half of the remediation cost. <br />CDM feels that the contractor successfully removed the contaminated clay and the liner <br />system should perform as designed. While the clay was determined to be compatible with the <br />leachate, CDM believes the clay liner should be constructed free of any contamination to <br />achieve the maximum barrier to leakage. <br />The seepage of leachate onto the clay arises from a unique aspect of this project. Tile edge of <br />liner of Segment II had to be revealed in order to tie the new liner system to the existing liner <br />system. When the cover material was removed from the existing trash, a pathway was created <br />which allowed leachate to escape in the area of the excavation. Leachate movement is <br />somewhat unpredictable and moves vertically or laterally along the path of least resistance. <br />This occurs for several reasons. The presence of film plastics in the waste hinders vertical <br />flow. The older material near the bottom of the cell has had longer to degrade and is more <br />dense than the upper levels. The leachate seepage is also directly attributed to the rain event. <br />Please note that the quantity of clay material purchased is greater than the amount removed. <br />The amount of clay removed had been compacted in place. The amount of clay purchased <br />accounts for the loose material as it arrives by truck. A compaction factor of 1.35 was <br />determined from the overall quantity of clay required for the job compared to the amount or <br />compacted clay that was placed. <br />Please find pictures attached showing the area of contamination <br />