Work crews at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site have completed the installation of a soil cover over a construction debris landfill.
Office of Environmental Management
August 25, 2020
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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Work crews at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site have completed the installation of a soil cover over a construction debris landfill at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC).
The landfill was created to dispose of nonradioactive and nonhazardous debris generated during the demolition of ancillary buildings, structures, and equipment associated with the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, which operated until 1994. Metal, concrete, empty storage tanks, and non-friable asbestos were disposed of in a 9.1-acre natural depression near the MFC facility.
In all, 4,400 cubic yards of debris were disposed of in the landfill over the last decade, with the last load delivered in August 2019. About 1.6 acres of the depression were filled with debris.
Last summer, crews from cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho began to cover the landfill with 18 inches of compacted native soils and six inches of topsoil. When winter arrived early, crews had to curtail work until this year.
Over the course of the summer, nine natural grasses and plants, including sage brush, were planted on the landfill cover. The purpose is to match the surrounding terrain while minimizing erosion and excessive settling. A berm was erected on the southern end the landfill to divert water runoff around the landfill during heavy rainfall.
“Our goal was to match up the vegetation on the landfill with the nearby natural plants and grasses,” said Fluor Idaho Field Support Specialist Dave Eaton.
Once its closure is approved by DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and state of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the landfill will be turned over to the Idaho site’s Environmental Restoration Program for long-term institutional controls to include controlling access, subsidence/vegetation monitoring, and maintenance as necessary.