Site Analysis of the Town of Gumby’s Landfill
Introduction:
The Town of Gumby is in need of determining the operational life span of the Gumby Landfill. The Landfill is currently tending to 10,200 homes with an average of 2.5 persons per household (Statistics Canada). The Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) has provided the Town of Gumby with a final allowable elevation contour map, which cannot be exceeded. In order to calculate the operational life span of the landfill, it is necessary to undertake a geospatial analysis of the Gumby Landfill. The data set provided by MOE will be analyzed alongside a surveyed data set, completed by Globomatics Inc. to determine the overall available capacity, along with identifying areas that have exceeded the allowable limit on a 1m^2 accuracy.
Full report available here.
Methodology:
Surveyed elevation points were collected over 2 days by the Globomatics Inc. surveying team, producing 8,525 points across the Gumby Landfill (Figure 1). These points were then used in production of a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) alongside the MOE defined elevation contour data set. A TIN is a vector-based representation of the elevation derived from elevation points or contours, see Figure 1 below for examples.
The Town of Gumby is in need of determining the operational life span of the Gumby Landfill. The Landfill is currently tending to 10,200 homes with an average of 2.5 persons per household (Statistics Canada). The Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) has provided the Town of Gumby with a final allowable elevation contour map, which cannot be exceeded. In order to calculate the operational life span of the landfill, it is necessary to undertake a geospatial analysis of the Gumby Landfill. The data set provided by MOE will be analyzed alongside a surveyed data set, completed by Globomatics Inc. to determine the overall available capacity, along with identifying areas that have exceeded the allowable limit on a 1m^2 accuracy.
Full report available here.
Methodology:
Surveyed elevation points were collected over 2 days by the Globomatics Inc. surveying team, producing 8,525 points across the Gumby Landfill (Figure 1). These points were then used in production of a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) alongside the MOE defined elevation contour data set. A TIN is a vector-based representation of the elevation derived from elevation points or contours, see Figure 1 below for examples.
The TINs were then transformed into a raster surface with a cell size of 1m2. The raster surface drapes a grid over the surface TIN (with a cell size of 1m by 1m).
These cells are then given a value based on the corresponding elevation calculated by the TIN, creating two raster surfaces. These surfaces were then compared on a cell by cell basis, producing a final raster of Available Volume, see Figure 2 below for an example.
These cells are then given a value based on the corresponding elevation calculated by the TIN, creating two raster surfaces. These surfaces were then compared on a cell by cell basis, producing a final raster of Available Volume, see Figure 2 below for an example.
Results:
After processing the two elevation datasets, three maps were produced. Map 1 displays the existing landfill surface, seen below as Figure 5. Map 2 displays the allowed elevation defined by MOE (Figure 6), and the third map (Figure 7) displays the difference in elevation between the two, describing areas that have exceeded and areas that have excess storage space. It was determined that there is 122,423 m3 of excess space, which can hold up to 73454 tonnes of waste.
After processing the two elevation datasets, three maps were produced. Map 1 displays the existing landfill surface, seen below as Figure 5. Map 2 displays the allowed elevation defined by MOE (Figure 6), and the third map (Figure 7) displays the difference in elevation between the two, describing areas that have exceeded and areas that have excess storage space. It was determined that there is 122,423 m3 of excess space, which can hold up to 73454 tonnes of waste.
Discussion:
The Town of Gumby consist of 10,200 homes, with an average of 2.5 persons per home. It has been calculated that the waste generation in the Town of Gumby to be 0.31 tonnes/Capita/Year on average for the previous seven years. This is generating an average of 7,905 tonnes per year of waste. The calculations described above calculated the landfill to have 122,423.1725 m^2 of available space, a capacity for up to 73, 453.90 tonnes of waste. If the Town of Gumby is generating 7,905 tonnes per year, the excess space will be filled by 2022. |
Recommendations:
The Town of Gumby’s landfill is quickly filling to capacity. If the population and compaction rates do not vary, the landfill will reach MOE’s maximum allowable elevation in 9.5 years (2022). Globomatics Inc. has determined that a variety of areas (southwest/northeast edges and centre peak) have exceeded these limits and proper mitigation strategies must be done to remove the excess waste down to MOE requirements and relocate to areas that have available capacity (north end of landfill).
Globomatics Inc. recommends continuing tracking of the annual waste production, population growth and waste compaction rates, as all are variables that can alter the operational life span that is calculated to reach capacity and end operations by 2022.
Full report available here.
The Town of Gumby’s landfill is quickly filling to capacity. If the population and compaction rates do not vary, the landfill will reach MOE’s maximum allowable elevation in 9.5 years (2022). Globomatics Inc. has determined that a variety of areas (southwest/northeast edges and centre peak) have exceeded these limits and proper mitigation strategies must be done to remove the excess waste down to MOE requirements and relocate to areas that have available capacity (north end of landfill).
Globomatics Inc. recommends continuing tracking of the annual waste production, population growth and waste compaction rates, as all are variables that can alter the operational life span that is calculated to reach capacity and end operations by 2022.
Full report available here.