The Environmental Research & Education (EREF) Board of Directors and Research Council have identified two high priority research topics dealing with special waste acceptance criteria and management strategies. This request for pre-proposals (RFP) outlines the topics and research needs to support the long-term strategic direction of the solid waste industry.
Special 91²Ö¿â Acceptance Criteria and Management Strategies – Special wastes are non-traditional wastes accepted at municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills that meet disposal criteria in RCRA Subtitle D. Some special wastes, when blended or co-disposed with MSW, can have unintended consequences on the engineering properties of the waste mass and the behavior of landfills. Two categories of special waste are of particular interest: heat generating wastes and high-moisture content wastes. Proposals are sought that address evaluation techniques, acceptance criteria, and disposal strategies for wastes in these two categories.
- Evaluating and managing heat-generating wastes – A generalized methodology to evaluate heat generating potential is needed that ultimately can be standardized. The methodology should reliably represent conditions that might be present in a landfill and affect heat-generating reactions: (i) chemical conditions, including state variables and reactants in the liquid-gas matrix, (ii) rate limitations (e.g., availability of liquids and gases), and (iii) thermal conditions, especially the ability to transmit heat from a heat-generating waste. Index test methods and mechanistic testing methodologies are needed that can be used for acceptance screening and to guide pre-treatment or disposal strategies. Recommendations are also needed regarding (i) how to evaluate heat-generation data and (ii) how to use the data to guide decision-making in terms of acceptance and management. Inferences from data should address management and disposal methods, the potential impact on landfill components or landfill behavior, and heat development and transmission.
- Evaluating and managing liquid wastes with wastes with high moisture content – Methodologies are needed to evaluate proper management of liquid wastes (e.g. grease trap wastes, contaminated liquids) and wastes with high moisture content (e.g., sludges, drilling muds) to ensure disposal in MSW landfills does not adversely affect fluid transmission (flow of leachate and gas), shear strength, compressibility, degradability, and thermal conditions of the waste mass. Impacts on leachate quality must also be understood. Methods are needed to identify appropriate bulking and/or binding agents for liquid wastes, proper solidification techniques for liquid wastes (e.g. liquid waste mixed with CKD or fly ash), proper mixing ratios and blending criteria for high-moisture content wastes and MSW, and impacts on anaerobic biodegradation. The objective is to ensure engineering properties of the waste and conditions within the waste mass (e.g., fluid flow, settlement, deformation, heat generation/transmission, microbial activity, geochemistry) are not affected adversely. Impacts on odor generation and implications for odor mitigation/control when managing liquid and high moisture content wastes also need to be understood.
Previously awarded grants ranged from $15,000 to over $500,000, with the average grant approximately $160,000. Typical project durations are 2 years. Research proposals in excess of $300,000 or longer than 3 years should provide sufficient detail to justify a larger budget or duration.
Submittal Deadline
The submittal deadline for this RFP is 5:00 PM EST, 15 January 2018. Pre-proposals do not have to address all issues covered in this RFP. Pre-proposals will be accepted starting December 24th. Pre-proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. Respondents will be informed regarding selection for submission of a full-proposals. The full proposal deadline is expected to be towards the end of March.
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