The great green coverup
Courtesy photo Kootenai County is capping garbage at the landfill at Fighting Creek with an artificial turf product over a plastic lining to reduce water from entering the garbage and createing leachate that needs to be collected and treated. The 16-acre, $2.4 million project south of Coeur d’Alene is expected to be completed in late November.
Courtesy photo A crew buttons up a plastic lining at Kootenai County’s landfill in Fighting Creek south of Coeur d’Alene.
FIGHTING CREEK — Artificial turf is being laid south of Coeur d'Alene, but this isn't some sneaky attempt to lure a sports program to our neck of the woods.
It's Kootenai County's cutting-edge way to button up our garbage with a $2.4 million, 16-acre project at the landfill at Fighting Creek.
A black plastic liner is laid on the waste first, then the artificial turf, called ClosureTurf, is applied on top, creating a lush green, maintenance-free and impermeable surface so rain can't reach the garbage.
"The project was necessary to reduce the substantial amount of water infiltration through the waste," said Cathy Mayer, the county's solid waste director, adding that it should be completed in late November. "It looks like grass all year long."
Once water passes through the waste, it creates leachate that must be collected and treated.
Mayer said about 6 million gallons of leachate is treated in a typical year at the landfill. She said the project is expected to reduce the amount by about 2 million gallons.
However, 12 million gallons were created last year due to a wet fall and heavy snowfall. The situation was part of the county's federal disaster declaration to receive funding assistance to deal with the water-logged environment.
"We had to haul some of the water to a treatment plant in Hayden," said Mayer, adding that the county will receive about $104,000 to help with costs associated with the disaster. "By covering a portion of the landfill, we'll avoid so much water collection in the future."
Mayer said the total cost of the ClosureTurf project, which includes site grading, excavation, gas system improvements, road work and placement of the two cap layers, is comparable to the traditional way of buttoning up landfills that includes a plastic lining, 18 inches of soil and vegetation.
The added advantages of the artificial turf are less leachate and no maintenance, Mayer said.
It's a new era of dealing with waste, as Mayer said she believes this is the first time the artificial turf has been laid at a landfill in the state.
"We're in a high precipitation area compared to a lot of other areas in the state, so it's critical that we manage the water," she said. "Most other places don't have to deal with it as much."
Mayer said the artificial turf has ultraviolet protection, so it should withstand the sun for several years and maintain its color. However, time will tell if it can maintain it for 10 to 20 years because the product is relatively new, she said.