HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL COLLECTION CENTER LEACHATE SOIL CLAY GROUND- WATER 10" 1 2 8 5 3 4 7 6

1 Landfill gas, mostly methane, is collected from the rotting garbage and is burned off at the FLARE STATION, located near the entrance of the park. The flare’s flame is barely noticeable during the day.

2  A 30-inch-thick SLURRY WALL blocks leachate from flowing into nearby groundwater. Additionally, a 10-inch differential between groundwater and leachate levels is maintained. Keeping groundwater at this higher level would prevent leachate from immediately flowing out if ever the wall was breached.

3  HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE LINER

4  LEACHATE

5  LEACHATE COLLECTION LINE

6  As organic matter in the garbage decomposes, gases are released and rise to the surface of the mound. LANDFILL GAS WELLS on the hill collect the methane and direct it toward the FLARE STATION to be burned off.

7  LANDFILL GAS COLLECTION LINE

8  Contaminated water, known as leachate, percolates through the landfill’s 5 million cubic yards of subterranean garbage. LEACHATE COLLECTION PIPE throughout the landfill capture the dirty water and deliver it to a nearby sewage treatment facility. The pipes’ perforated undersides allow the leachate to enter.

SOURCE: Sarasota County
Jacob Benison, Information Graphic, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 27 December 2006

From a Landfill to a Public Park

Instead of leaving 320 acres dormant for decades, officials approved the conversion of a former landfill into a public park with 3.5 miles (5.63 km) of walking, jogging, and biking trails.

Officials expect the modern procedures used to close the landfill will make problems experienced in other communities less likely at Rothenbach Park.