Part of landfill cover ripped off

Oh, and yeah ... about 10% of the permanent landfill cover installed last fall was ripped off the landfill and the gas extraction system was damaged.

This DEP update was from early Friday:

This morning New Ventures and Shaw personnel reported to MassDEP that high winds overnight had damaged the Flexible Membrane liner (FML) cap on the southwest corner of the landfill. An initial assessment by New Ventures and Shaw personnel indicates that approximately 10 % of the FML cap has been rolled off the landfill to the landfill top. In addition, as a result two landfill gas extraction wells have been damaged. The landfill gas system is currently shut down due to the damaged wells and a power outage in Newburyport.

New Ventures personnel are implementing measures to secure the edges of the undamaged FML and assessing how to repair the FML. New Ventures has also indicated they are attempting to obtain an emergency crew from the FML installer to repair the damaged FML. In addition, New Ventures is evaluating and will implement measures to reactivate the undamaged portion of the landfill gas extraction system and the two damaged extraction wells.

And this one was from later in the day:

Shaw personnel have reported to MassDEP that New Ventures:

· Resumed operation of the undamaged portion of the landfill gas system resumed at approximately 1:50 PM today;

· Placed temporary caps on the three damaged extraction wells and related portions of the landfill gas piping pending repair of the wells;

· Secured the edges of the undamaged FML with sand bags; and

· Completed replacement of the automatic flow control valve on the enclosed flare.

Shaw personnel monitored the restarting of the flare and pre-treatment system and report that the pretreatment system is meeting the removal standard for H2S and the flare is operating at the proper temperature. Shaw personnel will continue to monitor the landfill this weekend and report their findings to MassDEP staff.

New Ventures is continuing to contact the FML installer, GSE, to arrange for an emergency crew to repair the damaged FML.

That's interesting wording - New Ventures is continuing to contact the FML installer, GSE, to arrange for an emergency crew to repair the damaged FML - since I just wrote for the Current that DEP had to use some of the financial assurance mechanism (escrow) put down by New Ventures to pay this vendor (the assumption being that NV refused or was unable to pay for it).

Also check out the story in yesterday's Daily News.