Site Visit Report

VCB4423:
Solid and

Hazardous

Wastes

Engineering

Name
Lecterur

: Kinosraj a/l Kumaran 15352

: Dr Lavania Baloo

INTRODUCTION
A site visit for the solid management engineering class was organized by Dr. Lavania on 15
December 2015. The location of the site visit was at Bukit Tagar Hulu Selangor. A total of
approximately 60 ( 2 bus) students attended the site visit. The agenda of the visit consist of some
briefing on presentation given by the person in charge. At the end of the briefing, there was a
questioning and answering session between the student and the host. Countless valuable
information was shared among both parties regarding the visit especially on the operation of the
project.

OBJECTIVE OF THE VISIT

The purpose of this site visit is to provide the students with some knowledge and ideas on how
the sanitary landfill being handled. The understanding of sanitary landfill would be good basis
for student in order to practice in future. Besides the awareness on how important the
management of solid waste can be increase and this site visit can assist the students on
knowledge for the preparation of their future career
.
LOCATION OF SITE
The Bukit Tagar landfill is situated on parts of Lots 25, 36 and 37 of Ladang Sg Tinggi in Mukin
Sg Tinggi, Daerah Hulu Selangor. The landfill is approximately 50 km north of Kuala Lumpur
and it is a developed on 700 acres land area with 1000 acres of buffer zone. The location also
surrounded by palm plantation. It is a sanitary landfill and it started operation in 2007. The
development of Bukit Tagar technically to overcome the problem associated with the closure of
existing landfills at Taman Beringin in Kepong and Air Hitam in Puchong.

DESIGN AND FACILITIES

BTSL is the premier sanitary landfill in Malaysia which developed by KUB- Berjaya Enviro Sdn
Bhd and under supervision from the Ministry of Urban Welbeing, Housing and Local
Government where it provide safe, efficient and environmental friendly solid waste management
solution. It is designed as a fully engineered level IV landfill which provide maximum protection
to the environment, with full high density polyethylene (HDPE) membrane liner, leachate
collection and leachate treatment system which fully automated by SCADA system.

The facilities that BTSL has are:

a. landfill with full HDPE membrane liner,
b. leachate collection and treatment facilities and
c. Comprehensive landfill gas management system.

LANDFILL SCHEMATIC DESIGN

HDPE MEMBRANE LINER

HDPE is the most widely used geomembrane in the world and is used more
commonly internationally due to its availability and relatively inexpensive material cost. It is
also broad chemical resistance, its high strength, its relative inherent flexibility achieved without
additives, its weathering resistance that allows it to be left uncovered, and its ability to be
integrally fusion-welded by thermal methods rather than by using solvents and adhesives. HDPE
is needed over the landfill to keep water out (to prevent leachate formation). If the cover liner is
not maintained, rain will enter the landfill resulting in buildup of leachate to the point where the
bathtub overflows its sides and wastes enter the environment. There is even new innovation of
generating solar power energy by fixing solar film on top of the cover.

LANDFILL AREA

LEACHATE TREATMENT
The leachate treatment plant that was fully automated by SCADA system which
control of all the valves and pumps, and enabling the plant to operate automatically. The
leachate treatment plant comprise 4 sequential batch reactor (SBR) lagoons, 24 aerators,
chemical storage and dosing system, balancing tanks, sludge thickener and dissolved air flotation
(DAF) plant. Lechate undergoes a biological process for 24 hours, it was transferred to the DAF
plant to remove any residue. Then, treated leachate will convey to the reed beds which consist of
Phragmites plant capable of absorbing residues in the treated leachate to improve its quality.
After that the residue from the DAF plant is transferred to the sludge thickener and undergoes
dewatering before it was transferred to the landfill. Lastly, the treated effluent undergoes last
stages of manual checking before it irrigated in a 120-acre field. 4 leachate holding-ponds on site
provide 180,000 cubic meters leachate storage capacity to attenuate peak flows during wet
seasons ad the holding ponds also provide leachate storage when the leachate treatment plant is
undergoing maintenance. Besides, the leachate treatment plant condition is fully monitored from
the control room near the leachate treatment plant. The action taken from the reading given from
the reading in the control room.
The leachate is intercepted by the base liner system and conveyed through drainage
pipes to the leachate treatment plant (LTP). When the leachate reach the LTP, the LTP will
employs aerobic and anaerobic biological processes and it will also undergo the flocculation and
dissolved air flotation process. These processes are important to break down pollutants in the
leachate to harmless component within a 24 hour cycle. After the process complete then the
treated effluent is further processed in the reed bed which consists of Phragmites plant capable of
absorbing residues in the treated leachate to improve its quality. Final treated effluent achieving
the DOE, standards are not discharged into water courses, but are irrigated in designated zones to
be absorbed by vegetation through evapo-transpiration to achieve zero-discharge policy.
BTSL needs to treat the leachate properly because they are using it back as a water
supply. They have successfully treated the leachate until it reaches the grade B for water drinking
standard. Amazingly their Landfill in China, the leachate treated until it reach grade A of water
drinking standard.

WATER BEFORE AND AFTER

AERATION TANK

LEACHATE TANK

LEACHATE TREATMENT CONTROL PANEL

LEACHATE TANK CLOSE-UP

DISSOLVED AIR FLOATATION UNIT (DAF)

GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In BTSL, besides processing the solid waste, a comprehensive landfill gas
management system is in place. This system is dealing with landfill gas, including methane,
which is by product of the decomposition of organic matter. BTSL uses the methane gas to
produce electricity to supply electric in BTSL.
The company used the methane at the site to generate 4MW and up to 10MW. The
company was sold to TNB and fed to the National grid. As I mention earlier, based on my field
trip, BTSL has developed two gas flares to treat the landfill gas and now it is operating 1.2
megawatt gas engine to generate electricity from methane gas. BTSL also has implemented
Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement with TNB to supply green energy to the to the
national grid. We were able to see the bluish-purple flame inside the gas flares.
Other than that, KBE also explores the use of solar power by installing solar panels
on top of the filled landfill cells. The special about the BTSL landfill, it has the most Certified
Emission Reduction or carbon credits issued for a landfill project in Southeast Asia under the UN
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) scheme based on the Kyoto Protocol. As we know that

this solar power use in the BTSL, so it can create the competitive advantages as compared to the
other rivals.

FLARE UNIT
THE WASTE PROCESS IN BTSL
The waste has enter into BTSL will be processed very systematic and detail.
Municipal waste arriving in haulage trucks are weigh at electronic weigh bridge first before that
waste will be discharging at designated tipping areas in active at phase 2 and phase 3. At site,
bulldozer and compactor spread and compact the waste in layer by layer and at the end of
process, they will make daily cover for that active cell by using plastic and clay because they
want to avoid the oxygen and the rain enter that cell.
The gas is produced by the waste will go out by gas vents and pipes are constructed
contemporaneously within the waste layer capture and channel landfill gas. The storm water
interception system diverts and drains storm water into silts traps and dentations ponds for
discharge. The liquid or leachate come out from the waste is intercepted by the base liner system
and conveyed through drainage pipes to leachate treatment plant (LPT).
The LTP employs aerobic and anaerobic biological process, flocculation and dissolved air
floating to break down pollutant in the leachate to harmless components within 24 hours cycle.
The treated effluent is further processed in the reed beds to remove traces of heavy metals. At the

final process, final treated effluents achieving the DOE standards are not discharged into water
course, but are irrigated in designated zones to be absorbed by vegetation through evapotranspiration to achieve zero discharge policy.
The Bukit Tagar have also involved in the intensive fast-track program of planning,
design and construction. It is aimed to provide a long-term solution that supports the
Government of Malaysia objective in waste recovery, recycling, re-use and waste recovery. This
is one of the best implementations of the company to preserve our environment since it will
reduce deforestation and cutting trees. In the 2004, Consult Sdn Bhd was engaged by the
developer, KUB Berjaya Enviro Sdn Bhd, to design, plan and supervise the development of the
Bukit Tagar waste disposal facility. This is according to the objective to overcome the problem
associates with the closure existing landfills at the Taman Beringin in Kepong and Air Hitam
Puchong. The facility was successfully developed on a fast track programme to be operational
within a six-month period whilst fully satisfying the requirements of the Department of
Environment (DOE) and the received its first load of waste on 1 April 2005 and now handles
some 3,000 tonnes of waste per day.
In terms of to preserve the international interest in turn of reflecting the national interest,
health and safety of the regional community, this company has culminated in the construction
of a world class sanitary landfill which represents the very best in the construction of the world
class sanitary landfill which represents the very best in the private-public sector cooperation.
The company has achieved the highest environmental standards in the related waste
management system, since the landfills have also a demonstrably world class in all aspects.
There is a 500m buffer zone that ensures the landfill isolation and natural topography provides
the barrier to visual observation, odour and noise. This company can create the competitive
advantage since its location is close to the North-South Highway. The competitive advntage of
this , it can reduce the traffic impacts over those from the former landfills and at the same time
it will ensured that the facility represents a new standard in environmental protection.
Other than that Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill amongst its innovative engineering
achievement is T&T Konsults involvement in the design, construction and operation of the
largest leachate treatment plant in South East Asia. The size is equivalent in the size of the
previous largest leachate treatment plant in situated in Hong Kong. The plant is fully automated
with sophisticated SCADA control systems where the operator intervention requirements are
minimized. The leachate treatment process involves to treat locate to achieve a zero discharge of
the treated leachate from the site. The capacity of this plant is 1,000 m3/day and has been
designed and developed to allow modular expansion up to 3,000 m3 /day.

CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE OF BTSL

CLOSURE
Every landfill is required to prepare a written closure plan that describes the steps necessary to
close the unit in accordance with the closure requirements. This plan must include:

A description of the final cover design and its installation methods and procedures.
An estimate of the largest area of the landfill requiring a final cover.
An estimate of the maximum inventory of waste on site during the landfills active life.
A schedule for completing all required closure activities.

Once a has received its final shipment of waste, it must begin closure operations within
30 days. A landfill, however, may delay closure for up to one year if additional capacity remains.
Any further delays after one year require approval from the state director. After beginning, all
closure activities must be completed within 180 days (with the exception of an extension from
the state director). After closure is complete, the owner/operators then must certify that the
closure has been completed in accordance with the official closure plan. This certification must
be signed by an independent, registered professional engineer or the state director. At this time,
the MSWLF owner/operators also must make a notation on the property deed indicating that the
land was used as a landfill and that its future use for other activities is restricted.
For BTSL closure procedure is not needed as it is estimated to run forever. The method
that BTSL is proposing will be land mining method. Landfill mining and reclamation (LFMR) is
a process whereby solid wastes which have previously been landfilled are excavated and
processed. The function of landfill mining is to reduce the amount of landfill mass encapsulated
within the closed landfill and/or temporarily remove hazardous material to allow protective
measures to be taken before the landfill mass is replaced. In the process, mining recovers
valuable recyclable materials, a combustible fraction, soil, and landfill space. The aeration of the
landfill soil is a secondary benefit regarding the landfill's future use. The combustible fraction is
useful for the generation of power. The overall appearance of the landfill mining procedure is a
sequence of processing machines laid out in a functional conveyor system. The operating
principle is to excavate, sieve and sort the landfill material.
POST-CLOSURE
Post-closure care activities consist of monitoring and maintaining the waste containment systems
and monitoring groundwater to ensure that waste is not escaping and polluting the surrounding
environment. The required post-closure care period is 30 years from site closure, but this can be
shortened or extended by the director of an approved state program as necessary to ensure
protection of human health and the environment.

Specific post-closure care requirements consist of maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of
the:

Final cover system

Leachate collection system
Groundwater monitoring system
Methane gas monitoring system

The owner/operator of a closed MSWLF must prepare a written post-closure care plan that
provides:
However, there is no need for BTSL because after land mining, the landfill can be used forever
even after returned back to government to handle it.

FLOW OF THE PROCESS MANAGEMENT

SITE PREPARATION

TRUCK DISCHARGING WASTE

DAILY COVER

ELECTRICITY GENERATION

LEACHATE TREATMENT PONDS

APPENDIX
SITE VISIT/STUDY VISIT

SIMPLE BRIEFING ABOUT BTSL

ELECTICAL GENERATION

SITE PHASE 2 AND GET FAST

EXPLANATION HOW THE
PROCESS RUNNING ON AT
SITE