SR&R is proud to announce the completion of a 7.5 Acre Pre-Regulatory Landfill Remediation project in Central NC. This is just one of the many sites across the Southeast that our Remediation Services Division cleaned up this year. While the site posed many challenges including limited access and being located in a well-established neighborhood, we prevailed and turned yet another contaminated site into one that is ready for redevelopment.

The Issue:

Prior to January 1, 1983, there were many unpermitted landfills in North Carolina. These sites were constructed and used without the modern environmental controls that enable modern landfills to operate without contaminating nearby soil and water. While they’ve long since been shut down, their contamination remains and many of these sites linger on as sores on their neighboring communities.

In 2007, the Pre-Regulatory Landfill (PRLF) Unit was established within the NCDEQ to address this and provide a clear path forward to manage and remediate these sites. This program established the funding that pays for these projects. SR&R was awarded the contract based on several factors including our successful history of remediating sites large and small across the Southeastern US for commercial, industrial, and government clients. This particular project was tricky because of its location at the end of a quiet but established residential street that provided extremely limited access for heavy equipment. The site was inactive for decades and, to the naked eye, was undeveloped forest. But beneath the surface was several feet of glass, metal, and miscellaneous debris that made development all but impossible. With guidance from NCDEQ and their consultant, a plan was drafted and implemented to perform the work with minimal disruption to the surrounding community.

The first step of this project was to cut in a construction entrance to provide access to the site. Once we had access, we implemented the E&SC Plan that called for us to install long diversion channels with check dams along the Northern & Southern boundaries of the site.  This would help to slow the runoff on its way across the site to the stormwater basin we’d be constructing next.  This involved excavating 28,945 square feet of soil to produce a basin large enough to capture the water from the site and keep all sediment within the property boundaries.  We also created tree protection zones to ensure we didn’t remove or damage trees inadvertently.

The Approach:

Once the E&SC features are installed, the clearing of the site began.  We were able to locate and excavate waste from several different areas on the site and create one centralized stockpile which could be permanently sealed and capped.  Approximately 5,700 cubic yards of waste was removed, stockpiled, and then permanently sealed with a cellular confinement system on top to keep the waste in place. This system uses an expandable grid that can be expanded, anchored together, and then filled with soil.  Over 97,000 square feet of this liner was installed with seeded native soil covering it.  Finally, bollards and signs were added along the waste boundary as a demarcation of the waste that can’t be disturbed under the grid system.

Final Result:

After a thick stand of vegetation was established over the site, the site was inspected and approved by the NCDEQ. Now what was once a derelict contaminated site is ready for redevelopment with plans in place for a neighborhood with common areas like athletic fields, dog parks, etc. For more information on how SR&R can help you with contaminated soils and site remediation, please contact us.