Riverton landfill closure plan in Jamaica
Jamaica
The Government of Jamaica, through the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is responsible for the effective management of solid waste in Jamaica through its collection, transport and proper management.
With the aim of improving solid waste management on the island, the Government has identified the need to update and develop both the regulatory framework and the infrastructure for the management and final disposal of solid waste. In this regard, IDOM has drawn up the basic plans and designs for the closure of the Riverton landfill, one of the largest on the island, which currently receives most of the waste generated in Kingston, the country’s capital, and in particular from the parishes of Saint Catherine and Saint Andrew. This design included the creation of a Low-Tech Materials Recycling Facility for the relocation of informal recyclers currently living on the site.
In addition, the designs and technical specifications developed for this work will serve as a model for the closure of other uncontrolled landfills in Jamaica. Work began in December 2021 and the final design was delivered in October 2022.
- The main tasks carried out by IDOM include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Review and diagnosis of available information from secondary sources and preliminary assessment of the site.
- Establishment of site conditions: physical, social and environmental conditions.
- Preliminary characterisation of the waste mass: density, depth, level of stabilisation and compaction, etc.
- Preliminary assessment of risks and impacts on the environment and human health and safety.
- Assessment of dumping practices, waste present and remaining capacity of the site.
Visiting the site
During this first phase of the project, a site visit was conducted in order to gain first-hand knowledge of its current condition and the main constraints affecting its management. As part of this task, the following aspects were reviewed:
General and planning documentation
- Introduction and technical background.
- Environmental and social conditions of the site.
- Pre‑Closure Technical Plan.
- Closure Technical Plan.
- Post‑Closure Technical Plan.
- Roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved.
- Health and safety plan during construction works.
- Project budget.
- Economic assessment of environmental impacts.
- Schedule and work plan.
Technical Appendices
- Operational procedures.
- Activities prior to closure.
- Geotechnical studies, risk analyses and control measures.
- Leachate management system and its technical specifications.
- Landfill gas management system and its specifications.
- Specifications of the geosynthetics used.
- Detailed budget and monetization of environmental impacts.
- Annex I: Project drawings.
- Annex II: Terms of Reference and bidding documents for an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract.
