SITE SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF SOLID WASTES DISPOSAL SITE. CASE STUDY, GHABAWI LANDFILL/JORDAN

Rusiefa landfill is located on the north east of Amman, the capital of Jordan. The

landfill was opened in 1987, and served around one fourth of million of capita. A serious of

environmental problems occurred at Rusiefa landfill.

Ghabawai landfill was selected for a short-term period (15-25 years), and Mshash landfill for a

long-term period (25-50years), as new location for solid waste disposal sites. A series of scientific

studies were done as to select the best new location of new sanitary landfill of solid wastes.

Many factors control the selection of solid wastes disposal sites, such as, environmental

protection of surface and ground water resources by pollutants like leachates, characteristics of

geological layers, type and depths of aquifers, climatological data, capacity and the access to the

landfill.

Ghabawi landfill has an area of 2000dunums(1dumum=1000m2), and it was divided into cells in

order to facilate the dumpimg process.

Particular attention was given to the access point to each cell. Whereas, it is important that the

access routes do not put the liner at risk. Typical access ramps would be up to 6m in width, and have

slopes up to 10%.

In order to collect the biogases and the leachates, that generate from the solid wastes, a set of

different pipes were settled at the base of the land fill. In addition of geomembrane, made up of

HDPE material, was used as lining material