Landfill Environmental Testing Services
Accredited groundwater monitoring, leachate analysis, solid waste characterization, and compliance testing for active landfills, closed facilities, and disposal sites, with dedicated project management and 24-hour exceedance notification.
SPL provides comprehensive environmental laboratory testing services for municipal solid waste landfills, industrial disposal facilities, and closed landfill sites subject to post-closure care requirements. Our NELAP/TNI-accredited laboratories support 40 CFR Part 258 Subtitle D groundwater monitoring programs, leachate characterization and discharge compliance, TCLP and SPLP waste characterization, solid waste and soil analysis, and drinking water testing for facilities with on-site water supplies. With dedicated project managers who coordinate your entire sampling schedule, field technicians equipped for monitoring well and leachate sampling, and 24-hour exceedance notification, SPL is built to handle the full scope of environmental compliance at your landfill — from detection monitoring through corrective action.
The Data Your Landfill Depends On
Under 40 CFR Part 258, municipal solid waste landfill owners and operators are required to monitor the underlying groundwater at least semiannually throughout their facility’s active life and post-closure care period, monitoring for 62 constituents listed in Appendix I. Plus State and Regional regulations also affect your testing requirement schedule. A statistically significant increase above background levels triggers mandatory state agency notification and an assessment monitoring program within 90 days. That means your laboratory data isn’t just a compliance checkbox, it’s the first line of defense against a corrective action order. SPL understands what’s at stake when your data arrives, which is why we notify you of exceedances quickly.
Complete Environmental Testing for Every Compliance Requirement at Your Facility
Groundwater Monitoring
Semiannual, quarterly or monthly groundwater monitoring for Subtitle D detection monitoring programs, assessment monitoring, and corrective action verification. SPL analyzes the indicator constituents plus facility-specific parameters, delivering statistically defensible data that meets state agency submission requirements and withstands regulatory scrutiny.
Leachate Analysis
Routine leachate characterization and discharge compliance testing for lined landfills with leachate collection and treatment systems. SPL analyzes leachate for metals, organics, conventional parameters, nutrients, and emerging contaminants — supporting both operational treatment decisions and discharge permit compliance under NPDES or pretreatment requirements.
TCLP & Waste Characterization
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP, SW-846 Method 1311) and Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP, SW-846 Method 1312) testing to determine whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous for regulatory classification and appropriate disposal. SPL also provides comprehensive solid waste and soil characterization for waste acceptance decisions and facility compliance.
Solid Waste & Soil Analysis
Incoming waste characterization, soil quality analysis, cover material testing, and subsurface investigation support for active landfill operations, closure planning, and post-closure site assessment. SPL’s analytical scope covers metals, organics, TCLP, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and facility-specific parameters.
Surface Water & Stormwater
Surface water monitoring for downgradient waterbodies and stormwater compliance testing for landfill facilities with NPDES stormwater permits. SPL provides the analytical support your stormwater pollution prevention plan requires — including conventional parameters, metals, and facility-specific contaminants.
Drinking Water Testing
On-site drinking water supply testing for landfill facilities and surrounding community monitoring wells subject to Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. Includes routine compliance monitoring, lead and copper, PFAS, and special sampling programs required by state agencies in response to groundwater assessment monitoring findings.
PFAS at Landfills: A Growing Regulatory Priority
Landfills are increasingly recognized as significant sources of PFAS in groundwater and leachate — particularly facilities that have accepted firefighting foam-impacted materials, industrial waste, or consumer products containing PFAS compounds. EPA’s evolving PFAS regulatory framework is driving state agencies to add PFAS to groundwater monitoring requirements at landfills nationwide. SPL provides PFAS analysis in groundwater, leachate, surface water, and solid waste using EPA Methods 533, 537.1, and 1633 — with method detection limits capable of meeting the most stringent state-specific PFAS groundwater standards currently in effect.
Frequently Asked Questions About Landfill Environmental Testing
What is TCLP testing and does SPL provide it?
The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP, EPA Method SW-846 1311) is a laboratory test that simulates the leaching of contaminants from waste under landfill conditions. It is used to classify waste as hazardous or non-hazardous under RCRA regulations. SPL provides TCLP testing for metals, volatiles, semi-volatiles, pesticides, and herbicides — as well as the Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP, Method 1312) for evaluating leaching potential under acid rain conditions.
What federal regulations govern groundwater monitoring at municipal solid waste landfills?
Municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) are regulated under 40 CFR Part 258 (Subtitle D of RCRA). Subtitle D requires landfill owners and operators to install and maintain a groundwater monitoring system, sample at least semiannually for the 62 indicator constituents listed in Appendix I, and notify the state regulatory agency if any constituent is detected at a statistically significant level above established background concentrations. SPL’s environmental team understands this regulatory framework and builds monitoring programs designed to meet both federal requirements and state-specific permit conditions.
Can SPL handle sampling schedules at landfills?
Yes. SPL is equipped to handle high-frequency sampling schedules including routine analysis for leachate, process control, or other operational monitoring needs. Your dedicated project manager coordinates the sampling schedule and ensures all analytical deadlines are met regardless of frequency.
Does SPL test for PFAS in landfill groundwater and leachate?
Yes. SPL provides PFAS analysis in groundwater, leachate, surface water, and solid waste matrices using EPA Methods 533, 537.1, and 1633. As the USEPA and state agencies increasingly add PFAS to landfill groundwater monitoring requirements, SPL’s laboratories maintain current method accreditation and detection capabilities to meet the most stringent state standards.
Does SPL support closed landfills in post-closure care?
Yes. Post-closure care requirements under Subtitle D include continued groundwater monitoring for 30 years following closure — or longer if required by the state regulatory agency. SPL supports post-closure monitoring programs with the same dedicated project management, sampling coordination, and reporting infrastructure as active facility programs.
Let's Handle Everything Your Landfill Requires
From groundwater monitoring and leachate analysis to TCLP, solid waste, PFAS, and post-closure compliance — SPL’s environmental team has the accreditation, the field capabilities, and the project management infrastructure to keep your facility compliant and your data defensible.