A Bit About Landfills
The
United States produces immense quantities of waste.
For most of this century, a large percentage of this "municipal"
solid waste was
deposited in defined physical locations called “landfills”.
In
a landfill, solid wastes are disposed by spreading the waste in thin layers over
a targeted area (the working face),
compacting the waste to its smallest practical volume, and then covering the
waste with soil or other materials.
The covering minimizes odors and reduces the number of scavengers and
birds. At
some point the working face reaches its maximum height, typically 50 to 100 feet
above the original ground surface, and the filled area is called a cell.
A series of adjoining cells, all the same height, are defined as a lift.
Once the landfill reaches its allowable permitted air space, the landfill
is closed and capped with impermeable covering materials such as clay to a depth
of two to three feet.
There
are over 2,500 landfills in the U.S. accepting municipal solid waste.
Because landfills eventually reach their capacity and few obtain
regulatory approval for expansion, there are over 17,000 closed landfills, and a
significant number are being added each year to the closed landfill population.
The Common Dilemma
Public
and private owners of landfills face a common dilemma once filled properties
reach capacity and must be permanently closed; the accumulation of a
portfolio of idle assets, tremendous on-going maintenance costs, uncertain
environmental liabilities, and few options for sale or reuse.
Beneficial Redevelopment; A Growing Trend
Owners
of landfill and other brownfield sites have historically managed closed, or
otherwise unusable, properties by isolation and other risk minimization
techniques. A common solution was to fence sites in, keep people away, and
react to environmental complications if they arose. In recent years,
legislation has been passed and insurance and financial institutions have
developed programs that make the reuse, or redevelopment, of these brownfield
sites more plausible. Although reuse options for closed landfills are few,
golf has been proven as a viable, self-sustainable solution to many problem
sites.
 Nearly all landfills that have
been redeveloped, have been developed into golf courses or other recreational
uses that do not disturb the entombed waste. Although many landfills are situated
in prime real estate locations, only a small percentage of closed landfills have
been converted to golf courses. This is primarily due to the reticence of
developers and lenders to engage in projects with inherent environmental
liabilities. Many sites are also unsuitable due to location, extreme
topographic features, or inadequate acreage. In addition, constructing a
golf course on a landfill is more expensive than a traditional development.
Despite
the financial and environmental challenges, nearly 70 landfill courses have been
built in the United States during the last 39 years. Solutions to negative
public and regulatory perception, environmental and engineering problems have
been conceived and proven, and interest in the concept is growing.
A partial
list of golf courses constructed on landfills is provided below:
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