Newton County
Landfill

MSW Landfill

 

LOCATION

Covington, GA

Owner

Newton County Solid Waste Management Authority

Engineer

Harbin Engineering, P.C.

Contractor

Peed Bros., Inc.

Size

15.8 Acres

Date completed

2021

In 2016, the Newton County Landfill received funding which applied the benefits of ClosureTurf for repair of landfill slopes, mitigation to prevent future leachate issues, and reduced post-closure maintenance. The project was funded by FEMA as a hazard mitigation project in response to leachate seeps and slope erosion and a GEFA Georgia Fund Loan. The proposed design from the engineer, including repairing the landfill slopes and mitigation to prevent future damage, was the installation of ClosureTurf as a final cover solution. 

Traditional landfills require large amounts of soil throughout their lifespan and are often lacking adequate soil to complete closure construction. Many of these landfills experience on-going maintenance to remedy erosion and sedimentation issues. Traditional covers are highly reliant on availability of soils, trucking, heavy civil construction, establishment of vegetation on steep slopes and nutrient poor soils, and post-closure maintenance to maintain their integrity. 

“One of the biggest benefits of using ClosureTurf was that it not only removed any erosion, it prevents it, and there is no longer any possibility of soil erosion. That was critical. In addition to that, comparing the synthetic turf to trying to establish vegetation on landfill slopes that are 25-33% slopes, generally constructed out of very nutrient poor soils is exceedingly difficult. ClosureTurf is an excellent improvement over that method. There was also a significant savings or benefit to this site with 180,000 cubic yards of additional airspace gained by being able to remove the stormwater terraces. That volume in itself paid for the project. So even before the maintenance savings, the project was paid for by using ClosureTurf,” said Curtis Reynolds, P.E., President of Harbin Engineering. 

A benefit of ClosureTurf is that it reduces future landfill management related to the establishment, maintenance, and upkeep of a vegetative cover. Newton County had limited availability of staff for post closure maintenance, making ClosureTurf a great option for them. 

ClosureTurf also fully encapsulates which provided a solution to the leachate issues onsite and a reduction of soil thickness and volume necessary to cover the waste. More waste volume may be disposed in the facility when less soil cover is required. 

As part of the closure project, Harbin Engineering prepared various permit modifications to change the sequence of fill at the site which was approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in 2016. The change of sequence allowed the landfill operators to realize additional volume by relocating waste to the storm water terraces to create a constant slope. The landfill gained more than 180,000 cubic yards of additional air space with the ClosureTurf design. 

Construction for final closure began in April 2020, with the installation of ClosureTurf beginning in March 2021 and completion in September 2021. The Newton County Landfill is evaluating Watershed Geo’s revolutionary solar system for landfills, PowerCap™, for future revenue. 

Environmental Impact 

  • Land & water conservation, reduced CO2 emissions, renewable energy 
  • Fully encapsulate waste and leachate 
  • Produces cleaner runoff 
  • Maximizes solid waste disposal volume within liner footprint 

Post Closure Maintenance 

  • Elimination of establishing & maintaining vegetation 
  • Reduction of erosion control measures for stormwater management 
  • Aesthetically pleasing compared to other final closure systems 

Hydraulic Performance 

  • Reduction of diversion berms, improved runoff water quality, leachate reduction 

Geotechnical Performance 

  • Conforms with settlement, removal of overburden soil layers, no soil cover veneer failure 

“This method of closure is really excellent for the future of the county. It’s going to save us a lot of money in the long-term over the next 30 years, and it’s aesthetically far superior to any other type of closure. When we look at adding PowerCap in the future, we feel the public perception will be exceedingly positive, and we are excited about the revenue generating possibilities PowerCap can provide this landfill. The more years go by, the more money we’re going to save. I’d like to see every landfill in the state get closed with your product.”

Kevin J. Walter, P.E.
Solid Waste Manager | Newton County Solid Waste Management Authority 

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