Is leachate recirculation allowed at municipal solid waste landfills?
Yes, under certain conditions. At present, the federal regulations allow leachate recirculation only at those Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills which are designed and operated with the composite liner proscribed by 40 CFR part 258.40. Leachate recirculation is not allowed for MSW landfills with alternative liner systems in place, even in states that generally have the regulatory flexibility that comes with EPA program approval. In the future, EPA may revise the federal regulations to allow leachate recirculation at landfills with alternative liner systems. The issue of leachate recirculation has been prompted in part by larger emerging discussion on the management of landfills as “bioreactors.” A bioreactor landfill would use microbiological processes to accelerate waste decomposition; this type of landfill could also result in improved leachate quality and make waste-to-energy gas recovery at landfills more economical. In addition, bioreactors could reduce the potential long term
