Environmental Health and Safety Plan draft for Staten Island Landfill,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Staten Island Landfill Debris Disposal Operation Health and Safety Program

SECTION 4 - HAZARD CONTROL PROGRAM

4.1 GENERAL HAZARDS AT MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS

The Staten Island landfill complex is one of the largest landfills in the United States. The portion of the Staten Island landfill complex where the debris sorting activities are being conducted is a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill that was recently closed. An MSW landfill receives predominantly household waste.

There are numerous chemical, physical and biological hazards associated with an MSW landfill. The rough terrain could result in numerous physical hazards such as vehicle accidents, slipping, tripping, and falling. Driving vehicles on uneven surfaces creates a potential for possible vehicle roll-overs, hitting rocks and debris, getting stuck in mud or ditches, etc. The steep slopes of the landfill with loose vegetative cover represent possible tripping, falling, and slipping hazards. Heavy truck and equipment traffic, gravel slung by vehicle tires, and debris falling from trucks represent possible projectile hazards to pedestrian workers.

Landfill gas is a potential chemical hazard of concern at MSW facilities. Methane and carbon dioxide are the primary constituents of landfill gas. Landfill gas also contains trace amounts of numerous hazardous air pollutants. A discussion of the specific chemical hazards that may represent the most significant potential exposure concern at the Staten Island landfill are further discussed in Section 4.3, Chemical Hazards.

The area of the landfill where debris sorting is being conducted contains an active landfill gas extraction system. This system should minimize the non-point source emissions of landfill gasses from the landfill. It is possible that the general construction activities and the additional weight associated with the project-related equipment and management structures could cause an increase in landfill gas emissions. The well heads for the landfill gas collection system represent a potential safety hazard if the well heads were damaged, as there could be an immediate potential explosive hazard.

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