How to create a CQA plan, the CQA qualification requirements you need to meet and how to create a validation report.

You must have CQA for the construction of all aspects of landfill engineering and infrastructure.

Landfill engineering

Landfill engineering includes:

permanent geophysical leak location system

groundwater underdrainage system

sub-grade or formation layer

leachate collection system

leachate abstraction system

cell or area surface water drainage system

side wall subgrade or formation layer

sidewall containment and leachate collection systems

Landfill infrastructure

Landfill infrastructure includes:

temporary capping – such as engineered temporary caps, not cover materials

leachate abstraction systems

leachate transfer, treatment and storage systems

surface water drainage systems

leachate monitoring wells

groundwater monitoring boreholes

landfill gas monitoring boreholes

landfill gas management systems – including gas extraction wells, gas collection pipework and condensate management systems

lining within the installation

Construction quality assurance (CQA) plan

You must have a CQA plan. This is a written management system for any construction you propose.

What to include in your CQA plan

Your CQA plan must include the following information that is relevant to your site:

a detailed design description with reference to existing stability assessments

drawings of your proposed landfill engineering or infrastructure

specification of the proposed materials you will use to construct the landfill engineering or infrastructure – including the type and frequency of conformance testing

pass or fail criteria for all the materials you will use to construct the landfill engineering or infrastructure

details of the conformance testing you will carry out

how you will install each layer

CQA procedures for each layer

the procedure for agreeing changes to the design

details of the measures you will take where any non-compliance with the specification is identified – for each material you will use

details of the information you will include in the validation report

Your detailed design description must consider scenarios during and after construction, as well as after completing the filling and capping of the cell. If the design differs to that supported by a previously agreed stability assessment, you must provide a further stability assessment.

Where you need to carry out testing, you must use an independent laboratory that has United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation for each of the tests proposed.

All drawings, maps or plans must be to a recognised scale and all units must be metric. Each drawing should have a label that includes:

name and address of the operator

date the drawing was made

drawing identification number

National Grid lines and north point

paper size of original drawing

The drawings of your proposed landfill engineering or infrastructure must, where applicable, show:

location of proposed cell or capping works, including location of adjacent cells or caps

cell formation level, including under drainage system

level to top of geological barrier

level to top of leachate drainage and collection system

layout of leachate drainage and collection system

location of leachate collection, extraction and monitoring infrastructure, including the location of all target pads

location of gas collection and monitoring infrastructure

cross section of the cell lining system or infrastructure, including anchor trenches and under drainage system

cross section of cell perimeter and inter bund design, including connection with adjacent and existing cells

cross section of leachate extraction infrastructure and basal and sidewall pipework

cross section of leachate monitoring chamber

proposed waste thicknesses

You must record all levels in mAOD (metres above ordnance datum).

Submit your plan

You must submit your CQA plan to the Environment Agency. You must not begin constructing any new part of the landfill or landfill infrastructure until the Environment Agency has confirmed it’s satisfied with your proposals.

You must submit CQA plans sufficiently in advance of the programmed work to allow the Environment Agency to consider your proposals

The CQA plan must be signed by someone with a minimum route A qualification for a CQA engineer.

You or your CQA engineer or inspector must notify the Environment Agency of non-conformances against the approved CQA plan.

Environment Agency staff will visit the site during construction to monitor how you implement the CQA plan.

Update on progress and agree changes to your plan

Your CQA engineer or inspector must provide a progress update to your local Environment Agency office. They must normally do this weekly. Include:

progress in the last week

the proposed work programme for the following week

in the case of multiple clay sources, the sources currently in use

any testing carried out, with results recorded on the appropriate forms as listed in the CQA plan

any problems with proposed or agreed solutions

If the next and subsequent cells are the same design, you only need to submit a new cell layout drawing to the Environment Agency before construction. The Environment Agency will need to confirm it’s satisfied with the cell layout drawing and that it does not need any more information.

You must agree any change to the approved design in writing with the Environment Agency.

CQA personnel qualifications and experience

You must use competent people and resources in all aspects of your landfill engineering and infrastructure works. For example, use a competent contractor, who has experience of working with the materials you propose in your design, to carry out the works.

provide the Environment Agency with the CVs of all office and site based CQA personnel involved in the construction works, for agreement, before the works begin

outline the roles and responsibilities of each member of the CQA team within a CQA plan for the works

The Environment Agency will base its agreement on the following:

qualifications and experience of the proposed CQA inspector

evidence of continued suitability

complexity of the proposed works

Where, during the works, there is evidence of poor performance, the Environment Agency may remove their agreement.

You must provide the CVs of all office and site-based personnel involved in the construction works to your local Environment Agency officer a minimum of 5 working days before the start of the works. You must confirm what role they will perform.

You must make sure that each CV includes:

their education and qualifications

their site specific experience, including the: name of the site nature of the works dates role

Evidence of any mentoring and close supervision received, including the name and location of the site and type of work carried out, must be included in the CV.

Where mentoring and close supervision is to be provided for the proposed works, this must be agreed with your local Environment Agency officer. Details of all mentoring and close supervision carried out must be included within the validation report.

CQA engineers and inspectors must have at least route A or route B qualifications. You must confirm how your CQA engineer or inspector meets these requirements.

You must have third party CQA to make sure the materials and workmanship for the construction of all landfill engineering and infrastructure meets the standards specified in your permit and CQA plan.

All personnel involved in the CQA procedures must be independent of the permit holder and financially independent of the construction contractor.

The Environment Agency will accept large companies and sole traders as CQA engineers and inspectors. Operators must check that they have sufficient professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and are sufficiently independent.

Landfills for hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Where the proposed works are to be carried out at a landfill for hazardous or non-hazardous waste, the following will apply.

CQA engineers must normally have either of the following route A or route B qualifications.

Route A includes all of the following:

a chartered engineer or chartered geologist

a minimum of 4 years’ design or supervision of landfill construction, which must include earthworks, clay liner and geosynthetics where construction includes these materials

a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the design, supervision or construction of landfill infrastructure, where applicable

Route B includes all of the following:

a minimum formal qualification in science or engineering, for example Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) or higher in civil engineering, mining engineering, engineering geology, building, quantity surveying or science with training in soil mechanics

a minimum of 8 years’ design or supervision of landfill construction, which must include earthworks, clay liner and geosynthetics where construction includes these materials

a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the design, supervision or construction of landfill infrastructure, where applicable

CQA inspectors for earthworks and clay liner construction must meet either of the following route A or route B qualifications and experience unless agreed in writing with the Environment Agency.

Route A includes both of the following:

a minimum of 2 years’ continuous supervision of earthworks and clay liner construction on a landfill contract or similar experience

a minimum of one month, one-to-one close proximity training as an assistant to an experienced CQA inspector during earthworks and clay liner construction on a landfill contract, followed by mentoring and close supervision by the CQA engineer during the earthworks and clay liner construction works

Route B includes both of the following:

a minimum formal qualification in science or engineering, for example OND, ONC or higher in civil engineering, mining engineering, engineering geology, building, quantity surveying or science with training in soil mechanics

a minimum of one month, one-to-one close proximity training as an assistant to an experienced CQA inspector with relevant experience during earthworks and clay liner construction on a landfill contract, followed by mentoring and close supervision by the CQA engineer during the earthworks and clay liner construction works

Where construction includes geosynthetic elements, a CQA inspector must also meet both of the following, unless agreed in writing with the Environment Agency:

be able to understand the principles and demonstrate experience in supervision or construction with the relevant geosynthetics

a minimum of 10 days continuous one-to-one close proximity training as an assistant to an experienced CQA inspector with the relevant geosynthetic experience on a landfill contract, followed by mentoring and close supervision by the CQA engineer when those materials are being deployed

Landfills for inert waste

Where the proposed landfill engineering and infrastructure works are to be carried out at an inert waste landfill, read guidance on landfills for inert waste.

Landfill infrastructure

Where construction includes extraction or monitoring infrastructure, a CQA inspector must meet all of the following, unless agreed in writing with the Environment Agency:

a minimum formal qualification in science or engineering, for example OND, ONC or higher in civil engineering, mining engineering, engineering geology, building, quantity surveying or science or an equivalent relevant qualification

be able to understand the principles and demonstrate experience in supervision or construction of the specific extraction or monitoring infrastructure or drilling technique to be used

a minimum of 5 days, continuous one-to-one close proximity training as an assistant to an experienced CQA inspector on a landfill contract with t…