From 2012 to 2018, TEAM provided Mono County with landfill groundwater monitoring and reporting services according to current Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) and the direction of Mono County Solid Waste. In addition to quarterly and semi-annual groundwater sampling and reporting, the project involved improving Mono County’s compliance with WDRs issued for the Mono Landfills, balancing limited County resources with evolving regulations for active and closed unlined landfills, and providing a seamless transition through staff changes at the Regional Board and Mono County offices.
To achieve these objectives, TEAM geologists and hydrogeologists conducted an off-site evaluation of groundwater impacts at Benton-Crossing Landfill using direct-push drilling technology, which saved considerable costs over permanent monitoring wells. TEAM also installed a replacement monitoring well and dedicated sampling system for deep groundwater wells at the Pumice Valley Landfill, to maintain compliance and save significant sampling costs over the compliance and post-closure period.
TEAM’s location in Bishop (and Mammoth) enabled them to respond quickly and effectively to Mono County’s evolving compliance needs as well as to conduct on-site landfill field work cost-effectively. Over the course of the project, TEAM improved Mono County’s compliance record with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, reducing the number of ongoing violations and lending efficiency to ongoing reporting requirements. The experience further enhanced TEAM’s understanding of the unique needs of a geographically large, rural county in the Eastern Sierra, and the importance of local environmental support to local governments.
Project Info
CLIENT:
Mono County Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division
LOCATION:
Six Mono County Landfills, various locations in Mono County