New MC3000 rolled out

Magpie Drilling has continued its expansion with a further MC3000 added to the drilling rig fleet. Following the increase in customer demand for deeper, larger diameter wells, with temporary and permanent steel casings, the need for increased power, higher torque, and superior depth capabilities are paramount.

The new machine has an extra rod in the carousel enabling it to drill 60m without any crew member ever having to handle a drill rod. A new design for the self extruding barrel has increased the power in which the pusher plate operates making the extrusion process faster and more efficient. More …

This summer was the second summer season, and the 4th stage of restoration capping at this Wexford County Council landfill during which Rowe Environmental provided capping construction quality assurance services.

The start of the works in June 2007 coincided with the uniqely heavy rainfall exprienced throughout the region that month. Although clay capping proceeded in between rain storms, problems arose with clay compaction due to the very waterlogged conditions on the landfill.

Civil Engineering Contractor Roadbridge used every opportunity to work whenever the site dried out in between rain showers, and the project was remarkable for not being not seriously delayed. This was despite the need for additional harrowing and recompaction of the clay over much of the site, in order to reduce the water content to acceptable levels, and the un-programmed addition of extra soils reinforcement to steep slopes within the restoration area.

The final stage of restoration capping at Killurin is programmed for next year when the recycling facilities and replacement residual waste landfill at the Council’s new Holmestown Landfill will be operational, and the Killurin Landfill closed.

The restoration capping works we completed this year
were similar to the Stage 3 of restoration which took place
through the summer of 2006.
Click on the image below to view
the Landfill Restoration slideshow for 2006:

The Waste Strategy 2007 has been published, and yes, of course, poor old landfill gets the “worst” (least preferred option) ranking in the waste heirarchy again!

Seriously though, there was never going to be any change to the requirements for landfills including the Construction Quality Assurance requirements for landfills, but we thought we would post this anyway!

Here is what Let’s Recyle have been saying about the Waste Strategy as far is it relates to landfills:-

Specific material type landfill bans on agenda
(24.05.07)

The first three chapters of Waste Strategy 2007 contain a number of key areas of interest including the suggestion of radical future approaches to the landfilling of biodegradable and recyclable waste.

Landfill bans
The document points to experiences on the Continent where a number of countries, such as Germany, France and Swdedn, have imposed strict bans on what can be landfilled.

The strategy said that Defra wil be “consulting, subject to further analysis, on the introduction of further restrictions on the landfilling of biodegradable wastes and recyclable materials.”

Explaining the thinking behind this, the strategy says that other EU states “have found that imposing legal restrictions on the types of waste that can be landfilled has encouraged higher rates of recycling and recovery.”

The Department also noted how these have been introduced with significant lead-times, as in Germany.

Hierarchy
The strategy repeats the waste hierarchy which has five levels. These are (the best) waste prevention; reuse; recycle/compost; energy recovery; disposal (the worst).

NORTHERN IRELAND INTERIM GUIDANCE ON LANDFILL CLOSURE: CAPPING AND RESTORATION:  The Environmental and Heritage Service haas released Interim Guidance on Landfill Closure: Capping and Restoration for EHS staff and operators. The procedures may be applied to both existing and new landfill sites. The guidance document sets out a brief overview of the main aspects to be considered when establishing the capping standards at landfill sites. More information here.