Closed Landfill Maintenance

The Environmental Operation District (EOD) is responsible for the maintenance of several closed landfills located within the city. A team of equipment operators, laborers and environmental technicians perform these maintenance activities. Maintenance tasks include soil and vegetation cover management, monitoring and extraction well maintenance, groundwater and gas sampling. All activities within the closed landfills are regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Rules that regulate the closure and post-closure care of municipal solid waste landfills can be found in the Texas Administrative Code Title 30 Chapter 330 Subchapter J (30TAC330).

Groundwater protection, methane management and erosion control are the most important aspects of closed landfill maintenance. Environmental technicians perform quarterly monitoring of the shallow groundwater and streams around some of the landfills, to ensure that contaminants do not migrate from the landfills.

Methane gas is a natural product of the decomposition that occurs in landfill waste. Although not toxic, methane is a flammable gas. If not managed properly, it can be a nuisance to the area surrounding the landfill. Methane collection systems are currently operating in several of the City's closed landfills. The methane collection system at Nelson Gardens is owned by the City, but is leased and operated by a private company for beneficial reuse.