Integrated Drainage System for a Remedial Landfill Closure Cap

History

After the 20-acre Clarksburg Landfill reached the end of its service life, the city scheduled the design and construction of a remedial landfill closure cap in 2019. The city sought a solution that could meet both EPA and state regulations.

Solution

To help fund the closure, the city turned to the State’s Landfill Closure Assistance Program (LCAP), which was passed by the West Virginia Legislature on October 18, 1991. LCAP was a much-needed relief for landfill owners and permittees. For the 30 landfills in West Virginia that qualified for the program, LCAP provided the funds for proper closure assistance and shifted the performance of post-closure activities to the state’s Division of Environmental Protection.

In order to manage costs, the city chose a design that incorporated HDPE geomembrane, double-sided geocomposites, and geotextiles while also meeting or exceeding the requirements set by the state. The chosen approach utilized AGRU Integrated Drainage System (IDS), a Subtitle D-compliant closure and containment solution, in conjunction with geocomposite venting system. The complete solution installed at the Clarksburg landfill incorporated a layer cross section that featured, from top to bottom: grass, topsoil, cover soil, geotextile, AGRU Super Gripnet, AGRU Geocomposite, an interim cover, and finally the waste. The cover soil layer, which includes grass, topsoil, and cover soil, helps prevent erosion and assists with evaporation. AGRU IDS begins below the cover soil.

“AGRU IDS has been successfully installed and actively used in over 150 million square feet of closure and containment applications,” said Rick Cannon, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at AGRU America. “We are proud of our solution’s track record and are proud that it is contributing to a cleaner future for the City of Clarksburg.”

Outcome

The final cover was successfully completed in late 2019. The landfill cap is expected to reduce infiltration and provide environmental protection for years to come.

“We are thrilled with the successful closure of the Clarksburg Landfill,” said Mike Gnau, AGRU Lining Systems regional sales manager. “AGRU’s integrated drainage system continues to be a top-choice closure and containment solution for our customers seeking to incorporate drainage and environmental containment performance into a single layer.”

AGRU IDS combines many functionalities, including filtration, drainage, and protection, into a single product. The solution allowed the City of Clarksburg to save on transportation and installation costs while also benefiting from the latest developments in closure and containment technologies. On average, customers are able to install IDS 15% faster when compared to traditional closure systems.

“With lower material, shipping, and installation costs,” said Don DiGuilio, AGRU Lining Systems technical manager, “AGRU integrated drainage system offers an economic edge over conventional geomembrane and drainage composites. The solution also offers a high factor of safety for steep-slope stability thanks to its superior shear strength.”