When does it pay to do more than the minimum? In a previous blog, I discussed the importance of doing more than the minimum requirements stated in regulatory documents. From an environmental standpoint, it always pays off to go the extra mile. Financially, applying additional safeguards can be expensive.
Additionally, the current regulatory framework does not set rewards for going beyond minimum standards. Because environmental negotiations like our coal ash battles or landfill capacity issues have become contentious, finding a middle path is almost impossible.
An unhealthy byproduct of this fight is lost opportunity. Traditionally, providing a safer, better method cost more money. As a result, few stakeholders are looking for the most environmentally friendly solution because of the preconceived notion that it will come at a higher price. They think it’s better to make the best of “what is” and not consider “what could be.” As a result, they are missing the solution that is the best of both worlds.
Here at EnCAP-IT Solutions, we have the tools to drive solutions that reward better and safer solutions by saving costs—getting paid to be better- the best outcome for an environmental knight.
How Can It Pay to Be the Environmental Knight?
The answer is eMSE structures. Encapsulated Mechanically Stabilized Earthen structures provide unparalleled short and long-term stability; the main concern of these structures. We have developed a method that significantly improves the stability over standard MSE concepts. As a result, the safety of the structure improves as well. Why would anyone do anything differently?
Attached to this safer, better solution is a reward: Savings instead of increased costs.
An Environmental Knight’s Game Plan
How do EnCAP-IT’s solutions resolve the challenges in these market sectors?
| Market Sector | CCR | Landfill | Land Development |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge | Proper CCR Deposition of Millions of Tons of Legacy Ash within current land boundaries, within regulatory timeframes while minimizing the use of natural resources. | In a dwindling capacity environment, maximize what we got (land). Before closing, a landfill makes sure that the facility has provided all the capacity it can. | Areas that have served as solid waste landfills or coal ash ponds are not doomed to spend eternity as eyesores on the landscape. In many cases, adaptive reuse can transform that land into better spaces than it was initially. |
| Solution Tool | safeSTORAGE® | safeBERM® | safeREUSE™ |
Going Vertical
The land is limited, especially when considering the regulations surrounding waste management. By going vertical, environmental knights get more out of their limited space and keep a smaller footprint. The EnCAP-IT solution allows you to take things vertical and make better use of the land footprint. Additionally, communities will benefit when land is developed into open space.
Stability
A solution needs to be stable, able to withstand time and elements. Our solution is more stable than traditional methods. We “bake in” greater stability every step of the way. As a component-based system, we “individually wrap” the berms or bunkers, making the stability calculations much more favorable.
Post Closure Use
Once a site has been closed using an EnCAP-IT solution tool, the process for future beneficiation is easier. For structures holding coal ash, the bunker-style storage space is easier for future harvesting and could provide infrastructure for a solar farm or a data center bunker. For structures containing solid waste, the post-closure use could provide infrastructure for a solar farm, passive reconciliation facility, recycling center, or warehousing center.
Get the Reward (Conclusion)
Sometimes, it pays to be the environmental knight. EnCAP-IT’s solutions do not require additional land to be purchased and minimize expensive natural resources procurement. Whether it is CCR, Landfill, or Land Development, our solutions use the remediation material in the eMSE structures while also preserving the natural resources turning the long-term land into a one-solution path. One by one, these improvements lower the costs and can reduce timelines.
Whether you are a leader in coal ash, waste management, or land development, the EnCAP-IT solutions will improve your bottom line while also doing more than the regulatory minimums. With EnCAP-IT, it pays to be the environmental knight.
