Controls

An ongoing comprehensive measuring program for the monitoring of the groundwater quality, a so-called groundwater monitoring has been operated at the Ihlenberg site since 1981. This involves samples being taken from over 40 groundwater positions in various depths every three to twelve months. The measurement data gathered in the process are regularly evaluated in detail, and in close cooperation with the monitoring authorities the further procedures are determined in the event that they exceed the so-called triggering thresholds.

The groundwater monitoring programme not only serves as verification of correct operation, but it also represents a pre-emptive programme, a type of early warning system. Even the slightest anomalies are registered, evaluated and they trigger a further investigation in order to clarify what the respective cause is. This involves the groundwater monitoring being integrated into a wide range of other technical monitoring programmes such as, for example, for the air and surface waters.

As owner and operator of the Ihlenberg landfill, we saw and still see it as our responsibility to control the influence that the odours caused by our technical plants have on the people living in the areas neighbouring our site. For our own monitoring purposes, we therefore had measurements taken from 17.01. 2014 until 16.01.2015 in order to determine exactly how high the emission values indeed are, which are caused by the odours generated by our plants.

We commissioned the globally operating Odournet GmbH to conduct this project on our behalf. Odournet GmbH has over 30 years of experience as a consultant in all matters to do with odours. Odournet is familiar with all customary processes used in both Germany and Europe in order to judge the odour emissions and their practical application.
The process of determining the effects of odours and their corresponding effect on our industrial plant was a complex one, and one in which an array of factors needed to be taken into consideration.
That included: the regularity and duration with which odour emissions occurred, the intensity and hedonic effect of the odours, as well as the relevant weather conditions.

Taking the form of a grid assessment in accordance with the provisions of the recognised technical rules of the Directive VDI 3940, sheet 1 [2] and the Guideline for Odour Concentrations (GIRL), the odor impact on the residential areas Selmsdorf and Schönberg was determined.
The results of the examination are summarised in the “short report detailing the grid assessment of IAG GmbH”. It can be assumed for this reason that in the residential areas that are located close to the IAG GmbH plants there is no odour pollution. It was furthermore determined that the odour minimisation measures implemented by IAG GmbH led to a significant improvement in the odour emission situation for the surrounding residential areas.

Our bio-monitoring is a fundamental part of our work and safety preventive concept at our Ihlenberg site. The bio-monitoring serves the purpose of detecting as early as possible any possible contaminations with hazardous substances in the respective work areas.

Our employees are protected against absorbing or consuming hazardous substances by means of technical, organizational and personal protective measures.
The reduction and prevention of dust, as well as the use of personal protective equipment in order to protect against dust is an important element of our work safety. We have implemented preventative measures for this reason, for example:

• Use of plant technology that generates very little dust
• Daily cleaning of all surrounding roads with our own road-cleaning machine
• Speed restriction on the entire site
• Filter cabins on all construction machinery

In addition to the above, the employees are instructed to consistently adhere with rules in relation to hygiene:

• Use of personal protective equipment / protective clothing / respiratory protection
• Work clothes should be kept clean and changed in good time
• Adherence with the black-white separation in the changing rooms
• Wearing OVERALLS during the lunch break

The entire disposal process is subject to a complex control system based on statutory provisions and official requirements:

• Prior check
• Controls by the waste producer
• Controls upon delivery / fate verification
• Analytical controls of the waste by IAG

In order to be able to evaluate the settlement behaviour of the landfill, control measurements and evaluations of the results are carried out by external engineering offices each year. On the one hand, the height profile of the surface is controlled, and on the other hand, various processes are applied in selected seepage water collection pipes in order to be able to evaluate the settlements on the landfill basis.

In order to evaluate and guarantee the safety status of the active landfill section, regular safety status reports are drawn up. In order to guarantee the required standards, an additional accompaniment and monitoring during the construction is required.

A partial component of the multifunctional sealing is the sealing control system. This serves to indicate any leakages in the plastic sealing sheeting. With the help of the sealing control system, leaks can be accurately determined with limited degree of tolerance. In order to detect anomalies in good time, regular control measurements are carried out that are then subsequently evaluated by a specialist company.

The IAG commissioned, and continues to commission repeated examinations of the soil in the area surrounding the landfill in order to detect possible changes in the soil quality. During the last examination in 2015 a total of 28 partial areas of topsoil, each measuring approximately 1 hectare, surrounding the landfill were examined. The partial areas included in terms of their location, as far as this was possible, the points where samples were already taken in 1994 and 2004. The examination was based on both the parameters of the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance (BBodSchV), as well as the old data which exists from 1994 and 2004. The examined parameters were evaluated by an expert, among other things, against the backdrop of the examination, preventive and measures values for the ways of impact of soil–plant, soil–groundwater and soil–people. No deterioration of soil quality that could be traced back to the operation of the Ihlenberg landfill could be determined.

Uncontaminated rainwater from the sections of the landfill still in operation (e.g. areas of plastic sheeting, areas of road and roofs) is gathered in rain-retention basins and by using light-substance separation and sedimentation after a corresponding period of time has passed while being continuously and automatically monitored, is conveyed into the outlet channels. Both the rain-retention basins, as well as the feed-in points without a rain-retention basin, and of course the outlet channels into which the diverted surface waters are conveyed, are regularly checked and samples are taken and examined. The monitoring of the cleaned seepage waters, as well as the treated sewage, is carried out on the legal basis of water-law licences, the Waste Water Levy Act (AbwAG), as well as the self-monitoring ordinance (SÜVO). The monitoring of the rain-retention basins, as well as all the direct feed-in points is in accordance with the 9th subsequent order (9th NAO) of the government department for agriculture and environment, as well as water-law licences of the regional water authorities.

Thanks to the very latest technology and the corresponding qualified employees, the documentation of the ongoing provision, as well as the documentation of the construction measures on the grounds of IAG from the measuring to the drafting of the drawings is carried out by the company itself. In order to measure the grounds, there are, among other things, a GPS Rover, tachymeter, as well as a measuring drone available. The evaluation is carried out using high-performance hardware and software.
Among other things, two tracked bulldozers are available that can be steered by the GPS in order to implement the planning instructions.