Program converts waste into topsoil

By Katie Muehlhausen
Staff Writer

Where the untrained eye may see waste, the innovative minds behind the SoilerMaker program see opportunity.

"It’s only called waste because we throw it away!" said project leader Jody Tishmack.

The idea behind SoilerMaker stemmed from the concern that the Wade Power Plant was developing large quantities of seemingly useless coal ash.

A select group of students and faculty began the search for possible uses of this material in 1993. Today, eight years later, the SoilerMaker project is making gallant strides toward the future. There have already been vast improvements upon the old methods, said Joe Mikesell, senior director of engineering utilities and construction.

"It’s evolved into something much more mature than it was in the past," he said.

The goal of the project is to transform Purdue’s waste products into topsoil that can be used for lawn development and land reclamation.

This has been made especially easy through the opportunity to reclaim the sand and gravel quarry, which lies just southwest of the Purdue campus.

When reclaiming a plot of land, topsoil must be purchased in order to replenish the area and return it to "normal" status. Such topsoil is customarily stripped from nearby farm fields.

According to Tishmack, the synthetic soil produced by the SoilerMaker program provides an alternative that is economically beneficial as well as environmentally sound.

"The most important thing is that we close the loop — conserve the natural resources we have left and reuse or recycle the materials we’re already using," said Tishmack.

She said the project accomplishes just that.

The University provides a direct source of useful waste materials, which in turn saves money on handling and disposal. SoilerMaker then composts the wastes and sells the manufactured soil back to Purdue for use in the sand and gravel quarry as well as other lawn and landscaping projects.

As the sand and gravel quarry is restored, there is a massive opportunity for Purdue expansion. Although nothing is final at this point, a few tentative plans are in place.

Support services are being moved off campus to the renovated quarry, leaving more room on campus for services that directly benefit the students like laboratories and research facilities.

There are also endless possibilities for education and research in the quarry, said Tishmack.

Students who may normally be confined to a dim lecture hall now have the opportunity to see the results of recycling and composting firsthand.

Aside from merely observing the progress of SoilerMaker, a few students gain experience with the research and application involved in the program and they take pride in what they do.

"It makes you feel good that you’re working on a project that’s not really anywhere else in the state or the country," said Ben Herbert, a sophomore in the Schools of Engineering and SoilerMaker employee.

"It allows me to feel a real sense of accomplishment," said Tishmack, who has been with the program since its inception.

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