Active Gas Recovery/Collection System - Pumps the gas out of the ground by vacuum: Used for migration control if passive venting fails, and/or for methane recovery for energy purposes.

Aerobic - A biochemical process or condition occurring in the presence of oxygen

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors - A Board of officials that deals with County issues and concerns.

Anaerobic - A biochemical process or condition occurring in the absence of oxygen

Air Classifier - A machine that separates waste materials using an air stream.

Backyard Composting - The controlled biodegradation of leaves, grass and other yard wastes at the point of generation.

Baler - Machine used to densify and bind recyclable materials for storage and shipment.

Benite - A substance which expands when in contact with liquid.  Because it closes up air holes through which leachate can flow, benite is used in combination with or as a substitute for clay in liners and caps.

BFI - Acronym for Browning Ferris Industries, a nation-wide corporation based in Houston which is a major player in the waste disposal business.

Biodegradable Material - Waste material which is capable of being broken down by microorganisms into simple, stable compounds such as carbon dioxide and water.  Most organic wastes, such as food wastes and paper, are biodegradable.

Brown Goods - Discarded electronic products, such as radios, televisions and computers. (see also White Goods)

Buffer Zone - Neutral area which acts as a protective barrier separating two conflicting forces.  An are which acts to minimize the impact of pollutants on the environment or public welfare.  For example, a buffer zone is established between  a composting facility and neighboring residents to minimize odor problems.  The area around a landfill which must be maintained unaltered.  In Virginia, the state requires that a 100 foot buffer be left around all landfills, and a buffer must be also maintained between a landfill cell and a body of water.

Cap - An “umbrella” laid over the top of a landfill when it is retired from service.  The cap keeps liquids out which is important in leachate control.  A layer placed on top of a landfill cell during closure to reduce, if not eliminate water infiltration of the waste layer.  A well constructed cap decreases the amount of leachate produced by a landfill. In older landfills, the cap was made with a layer of clay three to five feet thick; newer landfills use a composite system consisting of a layer of clay and a synthetic, polyethylene membrane.  A layer of topsoil is placed on top of the cap so that vegetation can be grown on top of the cell.

Cell - An excavated unit area within a landfill in which wastes are placed.

Charlottesville City Council - A Board of elected officials that deal with City issues.

Citizens Solid Waste Task Force - Formed by the City of Charlottesville, the County of Albemarle, and the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA).  The Task Force is an organization comprised of citizens, to examine alternatives to landfilling, and to evaluate the financial feasability of those alternatives.

Clay Liner -  A Liner made of compacted clay soil.

Clean Air Act - An Act passed by Congress to have the air “safe enough to protect the public’s health” by May 31, 1975.

Clean Water Act - An Act passed by Congress to protect the nation’s water resources.  Requires EPA to establish a system of national effluent standards for major water pollutants.  Requires all industries to use the best practicable technology (BPT) for control of conventional and non-conventional pollutants and to use the best available technology (BAT) that is reasonable or affordable.

Co-composting - Simultaneous composting of two or more diverse waste streams.

Commercial Waste - Waste materials originating in wholesale, retail, institutional or service establishments such as office buildings, stores, markets, theaters, hotels and warehouses.

Compactor - Power driven device used to compress materials to a smaller volume.
Composite Liner - A combination of a clay liner and an FML: Thus, a huge sheet of  plastic is underlain by a layer of compacted (usually clay) soil.

Compost - The relatively stable decomposed organic material resulting from the composting process.

Composting - The controlled biological decomposition of organic solid waste under aerobic conditions.

CDD - Construction Demolition Debris

Construction Demolition Debris (CDD) - Materials resulting from the construction, remodeling, repair or demolition of buildings, bridges, pavements and other structures.  Construction materials can be resold for potential revenues.

Conveyor - Mechanical device used to move materials between operations.

Crusher - Mechanical device used to break recyclable materials (e.g., glass bottles) into small pieces.

Cullet - Clean, generally color-sorted, crushed glass used to make glass products.

Densifier - Machine used to compress aluminum cans into a small, dense “brick”

Detinning - Chemical separation of tin-plated steel into recyclable tin and steel

Drop-off  Center - A recycling facility that accepts delivery or transfer of source-seperated recyclable

EPA - (United States) Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - National environmental monitoring agency.  Conducted a report (issued in March 1997) to determine if Ivy Landfill is to be considered for the National Priority List (NPL).  The NPL is the prerequisite for Superfund eligibility.  Superfund status sites are allocated Federal funding for Toxic Site Cleanup.

Fabric Filter - Air pollution control device in which flue gasses are passed through a dense fabric that then filters out particles.

Fly Ash (flyash) - Small solid particles of ash and soot generated when coal, oil or waste materials are burned.  Fly ash is suspended in the flue gasafter combustion and is removed by the pollution control equipment.

Flow Control - A legal or economic means by which waste is directed to particular directions.

F.M.L. - Flexible Membrane Liner: A liner made of  plastic material.

Garbage - Spoiled or waste food that is thrown away, generally defined as wet food waste.

Hazardous Waste - Waste material that may pose a threat to human health or the environment, the disposal and handling of which is regulated by federal law.

Heavy Metals - Potentially toxic metals that are persistent in the environment, e.g., cadmium, lead or mercury.

HDPE - High Density Polyethylene; Used for Plastic Liners

House Bill 1205 (HB1205) - (1993) A bill that “grandfathers” in older landfills, which otherwise would have had to follow strict environmental regulations.  Ivy Landfill falls under HB1205.

Incineration - Burning of Waste to ash that may or may not involve energy recovery.

Incinerator Ash - The remnants of solid waste after combustion, including non-combustibles (e.g. metals) and soot.

Industrial Waste - Materials discarded from industrial operations or derived from manufacturing processes.

Inert Waste - Noncombustible, nonhazardous solid wastes that are unlikely to break down under conditions of disposal in a landfill.

Institutional Waste - Materials discarded from industrial operations or derived from manufacturing processes.

Integrated Solid Waste Management - A practice of using several alternative waste management techniques to manage and dispose of specific components of the municipal solid waste stream.  Waste management alternatives include source reduction, recycling, composting, energy recovery and landfilling.

Ivy Steering Committee (ISC) - A grass roots citizens organization in favor of closing the Ivy Landfill.  “Neighbors of Tattershall Farm, Dick Woods Road, Broad Axe Road and Peacock Hill.”

Landfill - A system of waste disposal in which materials are buried between layers of earth to build up low-lying land.

Leachate - Liquid that has percolated through solid waste or other medium and has extracted, dissolved or suspended materials from it, which may include potentially harmful materials.  Leachate collection and treatment is of  primary concern at municipal waste landfills.

Leachate Collection System - Network of underground pipes used to collect liquid having percolated through a landfill.  Liquids are then channeled into a reservoir for treatment.

Leachate Recycling - A system of leachate treatment that collects leachate at the base of  a landfill and redistributes it over the top of the waste.

Lift - One layer of waste and earth within a landfill.

Liner - Earthen or plastic barrier between landfill contents and the ground.  A layer placed under the garbage and above the ground to protect the ground and ground water from liquids percolating through the landfill.

Mandatory Recycling - Programs which by law require consumers to separate trash so that  some or all recyclable materials are not burned or dumped in landfills.

Methane - A gas generated by microbial decomposition of organic wastes.   An odorless, colorless, flammable, and explosive gas produced by municipal solid waste undergoing anaerobic  decomposition.  Methane is emitted from municipal solid waste landfills.  Methane moves laterally, and dangerous conditions may be produced if it is allowed to migrate uncontrolled from a landfill; it can pollute the air, deplete the ozone layer, kill vegetation (it displaces oxygen from plant roots) and explode in concentrations greater than 5%.

Methane Gas Collection System - A network of pipes laid within a landfill used to collect and channel gas to a storage and/or incineration point.

Methane Vents - Used to control landfill gas migration by venting gas to the atmosphere. They may be equipped with flares to burn off the gas (this controls odor) or with carbon filters (also for odor control) as is the case at Ivy Landfill.  Ther is not always adequate pressure on the gas within the landfill to push it to the venting device; thus a potential cause of vent failure.

MSW - Municipal Solid Waste

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) - Includes non-hazardous waste generated in households, commercial and  business establishments, institutions and light industrial process wastes, agricultural wastes, mining waste, and sewage sludge.  In practice, specific definitions vary across jurisdictions.

NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard - an Acronym or expression of resident opposition to the siting of a solid waste facility based on the particular location proposed.

Plastics -  Typical plastic types found in the waste stream are polyethylene therephthalate (PET, soda bottles) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE, milk containers and polyvinyl chloride [PVC]).

Private Landfills - Landfill management companies that privately manage/operate landfills.  These landfills are not covered under House Bill 1205, and must comply with Subtitle D requirements.
Recyclables - Materials that still have useful physical or chemical properties after serving their original purpose and that can, therefore, be reused or remanufactured into additional products.

Redemption - The return of a secondary material to the original supplier or designated center.

Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA) - A local municipal authority that manages/operates the Ivy Landfill.

Sanitary Landfill - Land waste disposal site that is located to minimize water pollution from runoff and leaching.  Waste is spread in thin layers, compacted and covered with a fresh layer of soil each day to minimize pest, aesthetic, disease, air pollution, and water pollution problems.

Sierra Club - The Piedmont Chapter is the local chapter of the National Environmental Group.

Sludge - A semi-liquid residue remaining from the treatment of municipal and industrial water and wastewater.

Source Reduction - The design, manufacture, acquisition and reuse of materials so as to minimize the quantity and/or toxicity of waste produced.  Source reduction prevents waste either by redesigning products or by otherwise changing societal patterns of consumption, use and waste generation.

Subtitle C - The hazardous waste section of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Subtitle D - The Solid, non-hazardous waste section of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  Stringent environmental codes that regulate the waste management operations of privately managed landfills.

Subtitle F - Section of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requiring the federal government to actively participate in procurement programs fostering the recovery and use of recycled materials and energy.

Superfund - Common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) to clean up abandoned or inactive hazardous waste dump sites.

Tipping Fee - A fee, usually dollars per ton, for the unloading or dumping of waste at a landfill, transfer station, recycling center, or waste-to-energy facility, usually stated in dullaters per ton; also called a disposal or service fee.

Tipping Floor - Unloading area for vehicles that are delivering municipal solid waste to a transfer station or municipal waste combustion facility.  A paved area at the waste processing or transfer facility where wastes are dumped prior to processing or repacking.

Transfer Station - A permanent where waste materials are taken from smaller collection vehicles and placed in larger vehicles for transport, including truck trailers, railroad cars, or barges.  Recycling and some processing may also take place at transfer stations.

Trash - Material considered worthless, unnecessary or offensive that is usually thrown away.  Generally defined as dry waste material, but in common usage it is a synonym for garbage, rubbish or refuse.

TPD - Tons Per Day

TPY - Tons Per Year

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) - The state of Virginia’s environmental monitoring agency.  Regulates environmental quality standards.

VOC - Volatile Organic Compound

Waste Management Hierarchy - A preferentially ranked series of the waste management options (i.e., source reduction, recycling, volume reduction, incineration, and finally, landfilling.)

Waste Stream - A term describing the total flow of solid waste from homes, businesses, institutions, and manufacturing plants that must be recycled, burned or disposed of in landfills.

White Goods - Large household appliances such as refridgerators, stoves, air conditioners, and washing machines.

Windrow - A piled row of organic materials for the purposes of  composting.

Yard Waste - Leaves, grass clippings, prunings, and other natural organic matter discarded from yards and gardens.  Yard wastes may also include stumps and brush, but these materials are not normally handled at composting facilities.