Phillip’s Pit
Tom Phillips had operated a 2.5 acre sand pit in Wallingford, Vermont and needed to reclaim the mined out area to be in compliance with Act 250. A very steep slope makes up one side of the pit which is highly visible from the adjacent property
The Challenge
The adjacent property is owned by the Town of Wallingford and was also scheduled to be reclaimed so that it could be used as open recreation space. Historically, any erosion from the slope would result in mounds of material migrating to the Town’s property. Mr. Phillips was concerned that any attempt to use conventional loam would fail given his past experience with sand and sediment settling to the toe of the slope.
The Solution
The availability of sand, labor and equipment greatly reduces the expense of reclamation when Engineered Topsoil is used in place of native loam. RMI provided products from its Heart & Soil® product line and Mr. Phillips provided screened sand to blend into Engineered Topsoil. Engineered Topsoil was mixed at the top of the slope and spread on the slope from the top down in a 9” lift. Within ten days of project completion, grass had begun to sprout across the entire slope. By the end of the fall, the grass was well established and had grown to waist high.