Pete Cassidy This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Landfill is more than a hole in the ground

   www.dailyregister.com/news/HBG - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/7/2002   Last Visited: 7/7/2002

   When two sheets of liner are welded together, the process is extremely precise, according to Pete Cassidy, field supervisor for GSE. The liner must be impenetrable after being welded in order to pass EPA inspections. "When they are welding, they have to wipe that seam between the two sheets. It has to be clean and it has to be dry," Cassidy said. "Usually when something is incorrect, it is dirt." Samples of the seams are taken every from every 10 feet of the liner to find potential problem spots where leaks can occur. Seams are always tested with the date, time and results of the test written on the liner so state inspectors can see the test results. Employees also are constantly cutting test strips and checking the strength of the strips before welding the liner sheets together. The first impression of working inside the landfill with the liner on the ground is one of intense heat. Cassidy said -- and several GSE employees confirmed -- the temperature inside the landfill hole can soar 20 degrees higher than the surface temperature due to the black liner absorbing heat. Even the design of the landfill makes working conditions undesirable. The landfill's banks are designed to cut down on wind blowing into the hole and scattering trash through the surrounding area. The design makes the landfill more environmentally friendly, but makes working conditions inside the lined hole more difficult, Cassidy said. Regulations surrounding landfills are so strict, Cassidy said, even the welders must be approved by the EPA before they can begin work. Textured liner was put on the slopes of the landfill, Cassidy said. The rough liner edges keep trash from settling down and sliding excessively. Quality control inside the lining company is strict, Cassidy said. Each roll of liner is tracked with a number system so the manufacturer can zero in on defective strips. "We can tell you what landfill, when it was put in the landfill, and where it was placed in the landfill," Cassidy said. Strict in-house quality control is not peculiar to GSE, Cassidy said. State and federal regulations regarding landfills have required companies to keep up and introduce exacting quality control in order to stay in business.