Geotechnical and environmental aspects of landfill reclamation: a case study of an old municipal solid waste landfill in Poland

Reclamation of landfills requires solutions to many unusual issues in the field of geotechnics and environmental engineering. The aim of the paper was to present some examples of reclamation works aimed at reducing the impact of an old municipal solid waste landfill on the soil-water environment and ensuring geotechnical safety. The article discusses several technical solutions applied in shaping the landfill body and strengthening the stability of the slopes. Moreover, some methods of reducing the spread of pollutants within the landfill site were presented. The article presents an example of a landfill located in difficult hydrogeological conditions, which for many years of operation did not have any systems applied for the purpose of protection from contamination. Based on the results of monitoring and numerical modeling, a beneficial effects of reclamation works on the improvement of groundwater quality and conditions of landfill slope stability were demonstrated. It was also shown that the application of a vertical barrier and a leachate drainage system have a positive effect on the improvement of the condition of plant communities in the landfill surroundings. It was concluded that reclamation works do not essentially change the function of the landfill but reduce its negative impact on the environment, in particular by limiting the spread of pollutants into the soil-water environment, protecting the slopes from erosion, reducing dust, increasing evapotranspiration and improving landscape value.