Hazard analysis for a large regional landfill

The Eagle Mountain landfill, with a proposed airspace of 510 million cubic meters, will be upon completion one of the largest landfills in the world. Solid waste slopes at the landfill will be up to 350 m in height from toe to crest and the thickness of the solid waste will exceed 200 m. The unprecedented size of the landfill, its seismic exposure, and uncertainty over implementation of new federal regulations made preliminary design and permitting of the facility a challenge. In addressing this challenge, the seismic hazard analysis for the landfill was done using two different approaches: the prescriptive approach contained in Federal regulations and the alternative approach contained in California regulations. Application of the results of these seismic hazard analyses to seismic performance assessment of the landfill demonstrates that neither approach can be unconditionally described as more or less stringent than the other. Both approaches are considered to form the basis for design of a landfill with a high degree of seismic resistance that provides a high level of protection to the environment.