Niagara County Landfill No. 1 is an 11-acre, unlined landfill situated within a limestone quarry. After the site was closed and clay cap was installed, impacts to groundwater were identified. Another consultant recommended a remediation strategy costing $12M. CHA recommended constructing an alternate cap using a ClosureTurf® system, installing additional leachate collection infrastructure, and monitored natural attenuation to address the groundwater contamination.
This remediation plan was accepted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and implemented at 25% of the cost of the original proposal. CHA flew a drone weekly to monitor the progress of construction and to verify work completed by the contractor. The use of ClosureTurf® results in a finished look that is clean, always green, and does not require mowing. No erosional ruts develop, and stormwater runoff is sediment free, resulting in a significant decrease in post-closure care costs where the post-closure monitoring period is typically 30 years.
Landfill spanning 11 acres.
$9 million savings on initial remediation.
Post-closure care cost savings over 30 years.
Samantha Miller, PE, CPESC-IT*
Section Manager,
Senior Engineer
Samantha brings over a decade of experience in environmental engineering. Her expertise covers a wide spectrum of services such as environmental monitoring, construction observation, remediation system design, bulk storage tank inspections, site management plans, and regulatory negotiations. Her portfolio encompasses regulated sites spanning petroleum and chemical remediation, tank cleanup, solid waste facility closures, and vapor intrusion mitigation.