Big Rivers Electric Corporation

Watershed Geo recently worked with Big Rivers Electric Corporation on the final closure of Phase 1 of their Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) landfill located in Centertown, Kentucky. When deciding the best closure system for this project, Big Rivers chose ClosureTurf® for two main reasons: the system negated the need for a traditional clay cover, and it resulted in lower long-term maintenance of the site. 

While Phase 1 of the landfill was no longer in operation, Big Rivers saved a significant amount of money and hassle by eliminating the need to ship clay to the site. 

“We were either going to need a clay cap or a ClosureTurf type material, and with our closure plan being submitted to the state, ClosureTurf was going to be the cheaper and better way in the long run, so that’s why we went with ClosureTurf,” said Travis Reed, Plant Engineer with Big Rivers Electric Corporation. 

Maintenance was another main reason that Big Rivers chose ClosureTurf. Many landfills experience on-going maintenance to remedy erosion and stormwater issues associated with traditional covers such as slope washout and polluted runoff. ClosureTurf provided Big Rivers with an option that removed the ongoing headaches normally associated with maintaining systems consisting of clay, soil, and vegetation.  

As the first ClosureTurf project in Kentucky, the system is providing a safe and cost-effective solution to Big Rivers, who distributes retail electric power to approximately 120,000 homes, farms, businesses, and industries across 22 counties. ClosureTurf is proving to be an effective solution for utilities and industrial sites facing difficult closures. Currently being used on multiple large-scale CCR disposal projects, this innovative solution is Subtitle D equivalent as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and offers meaningful advantages specific to CCR disposal challenges.