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Environmental Protection

The Austin Community Recycling & Disposal Facility (ACR&DF) is operated safely and in compliance with protective state and federal environmental laws. WM works to meet or exceed state and federal environmental requirements designed to protect air, groundwater and surface water.

The landfill is engineered to protect against environmental impacts through use of sound planning, design and operations, which provide safe, long-term disposal of waste within the facility.

Groundwater protection is an integral part of construction and operations. Through strong engineering, construction and quality assurance testing, WM can be confident that it has met or exceeded federal and state landfill liner requirements designed to protect human health and the environment. The current landfill liner system uses a federal- and state-approved composite liner system consisting of re-compacted clay soil and a high-density polyethylene plastic liner.

Groundwater monitoring wells located around the perimeter are strategically located around the landfill footprint and are sampled and analyzed on a scheduled basis by trained monitoring technicians. The water quality data is evaluated on a semi-annual basis by independent professionals and submitted to TCEQ annually.

A leachate collection and extraction system is placed over the liner system. (Leachate is the liquid generated from rainfall and the natural decomposition of waste.) Leachate is collected in sumps and automatically pumped to an onsite lined holding pond. Leachate is disposed of off-site at approved and permitted wastewater treatment facilities.

To manage storm water runoff, the Austin Community Landfill uses both structural controls such as silt fences, rock dams, erosion control mats, and other best management practices along with stabilization of landfill cover through use of vegetation and mulch.

The landfill employs a collection and recovery system to control landfill gas, which is formed by the decomposition of solid waste. Gas extraction wells have been installed to remove the gas, which is directed to a landfill gas to energy plant that uses landfill gas to produce "green energy." The green energy power station has a 5.8 megawatt generation capacity of green energy, producing enough electricity to power nearly 6,000 homes.

The TCEQ inspects the landfill and its operating standards on a regular basis. These announced and unannounced inspections include a review of the facility operations and record-keeping standards.

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Bagster® - Dumpster in a Bag®
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Moving In?

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Waste Management Home
Products & Services
Residential Trash Collection & Recycling
Commercial Waste Disposal & Recycling
Roll-Off Dumpster Rental
Bulk Trash Pickup
Construction Waste Disposal
Bagster® - Dumpster in a Bag®
eWaste
National Accounts
Moving In?
Customer Support
Pay My Bill
Billing & Invoice Help
Manage My Account
Log In to My WM
Customer Support
Request Extra Pickup
Report Missed Pickup
Frequently Asked Questions
WM.com Security
Quick Info
Recycling 101
Our Service Areas
Drop-Off Locations
Service Notifications
10 Yard Dumpster
20 Yard Dumpster
30 Yard Dumpster
Holiday Schedule
Our Company
Who We Are
Why WM?
Media Room
Compliance & Ethics
WM Phoenix Open
Sustainability Report
Work With Us
Careers
Investors
Suppliers
Acquisitions & Divestitures
Former Employee HR Support
  • Waste Management on Facebook White Facebook icon
  • Waste Management on XWhite X social media icon
  • Waste Management on InstagramWhite Instagram icon
  • Waste Management on LinkedInWhite LinkedIn icon
  • Waste Management on YouTubeWhite YouTube icon
  • Waste Management on TikTokWhite TikTok icon
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WM, formerly known as Waste Management, is North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions.