Rural Operational Guidance

The Solid Waste Management for Rural Alaska Operational Guidance document was developed by the Solid Waste Program to provide guidance for better managing solid waste in rural Alaska.

The information included in this guidance is focused on improving waste management in communities with Class III landfills. Waste management in small and remote communities has very specific challenges and it is important that these challenges are addressed. This document is intended to help community leaders and landfill operators tackle those challenges by explaining how best to ensure that solid waste is handled and disposed of in a manner that minimizes impacts to human health and the environment. These practices are commonly referred to as Best Management Practices.

While this guidance has been developed for remote communities, it only provides general advice. Each community’s needs and circumstances are unique and site-specific. Your rural landfill specialist can provide you with additional information to help with those site-specific needs.

You can download the Full Guidance Document (11 MB) or it can be downloaded by sections as listed below

• Table of Contents
• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Glossary
• Introduction and the 4 Cs
• 1.0 Landfill Site Control
• • 1.1 Landfill Road Maintenance
  • 1.2 Signage
  • 1.3 Closing the Gate/ Access Control
• 2.0 Burning Waste
• • 2.1 Waste Separation
  • 2.2 Burn Management
  • 2.3 Burn Unit
• 3.0 Landfill Operation
• • 3.1 Operator
  • 3.2 Equipment
  • 3.3 Working Face
  • 3.4 Consolidation
  • 3.5 Compaction
  • 3.6 Cover
  • 3.7 Grading for Water Management and Erosion Control
  • 3.8 Deterring Wildlife
  • 3.9 Preventing the Spread of Germs and Diseases from the Landfill
  • 3.10 Litter
  • 3.11 Maintenance
• 4.0 Landfill Water Impacts
• • 4.1 Leachate
  • 4.2 Storm Water Controls
  • 4.3 Impacts to Permafrost
  • 4.4 Impacts to Wetlands
  • 4.5 Water Monitoring
• 5.0 Special Waste Management
• • 5.1 Petroleum Polluted Soil
  • 5.2 Septage/Honeybucket Waste
  • 5.3 Animal Carcasses
  • 5.4 Household Hazardous Waste
  • 5.5 Liquid Waste
  • 5.6 Construction and Demolition Debris
  • 5.7 Salvage Area
  • 5.8 Used Oil
  • 5.9 Vehicles
  • 5.10 Freezers and Refrigerators and CFCs
  • 5.11 Lead-Acid Batteries
  • 5.12 Mystery Drums
• 6.0 Administration
• • 6.1 Permit
  • 6.2 Monthly Visual Monitoring
  • 6.3 Operations Plan
  • 6.4 Site Plan
• 7.0 Waste Management Improvement Programs
• • 7.1 Backhaul Program
  • 7.2 Collection Program
  • 7.3 Fees
  • 7.4 Landfill Operator Training
  • 7.5 Community Education and Outreach
• Contacts