Development Over Closed Landfills

There are many closed or abandoned landfills in the Austin area. Many operated before landfills were regulated and may pose environmental or safety risks. Their boundaries are often unknown or poorly defined. Structures built over landfills may be at risk from soil subsidence or methane gas.

Key Contact: Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, Closed Landfills Email, 512-974-3443

Landfill Verification Requirements

Development Projects

If you answer yes to all of the questions below, then you must fill out the landfill verification form and provide additional documentation with your development application.

Are you submitting a commercial or multi-family development application?
Is the application for a subdivision, site plan or building permit?
Is the tract more than one acre in size or located within a landfill buffer area?

Landfill Verification Form

Additional Documentation

Provide one of the following documents with your landfill verification form:

Certificate sealed by a Professional Engineer certifying the site is not over a closed landfill and describing the basis for that determination
Development permit from the TCEQ
Letter from the TCEQ stating that the project is not subject to the requirements of TAC Ch. 330, Subchapter T.

For more information on requirements, visit Chapter 25-1-85 of Austin’s Land Development Code, which addresses issues related to development over closed landfills.

Landfill Map Library

Maps of 71 closed landfills are available below. To see the buffer for each site, download the overview map and then click on one of the links below. The Capital Area Council of Governments also has a closed landfill inventory.

Overview Map