Fayette County’s only construction dump closed over space, environmental concerns
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Thoroughbred Disposal stopped operations in 2025 after reaching capacity and other issues.
- State denied horizontal expansion because the site lacked the required buffer.
- City asks contractors to take construction debris to the Bluegrass transfer station.
A private construction dump near the Haley Pike landfill in Fayette County has shuttered and does not plan to reopen, according to Lexington city officials and state environmental regulators.
Thoroughbred Disposal, which operated the only area landfill for construction waste on Hedger Lane, shut down operations in 2025 after it ran out of space and subsequently ran afoul of state environmental regulations, according to officials with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
“In the fall of 2025, the facility reached its permitted capacity and stopped taking waste,” said Robin Hartman, a spokeswoman for the cabinet. “The facility also had compliance issues with their Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) permit requirements.”
Thoroughbred Disposal had asked for a horizontal permit expansion, meaning it wanted to expand the footprint of the landfill. But that permit was denied because Thoroughbred Disposal lacked the appropriate buffer required around that expansion area, Hartman said.
Officials with Thoroughbred Disposal could not be reached for comment. The phone number for Thoroughbred Disposal is no longer active.
Hartman said Thoroughbred Disposal notified the cabinet it had intended to close the site rather than move forward with permits or expansion. There were several notices of violations issued to the company but since it is not moving forward with expansion, those notices of violations will not be resolved, Hartman said.
Lexington city officials said they have been notified the landfill has closed.
“From our understanding, Thoroughbred Disposal landfill suffered fire damage on Aug. 16, 2025, and permanently ceased operations afterwards,” said Susan Straub, a spokeswoman for the city.
Meanwhile, contractors and people looking to properly dispose of construction debris are being asked to take it to the Bluegrass Regional Transfer Station at 1505 Old Frankfort Pike, which is open six days a week, Straub said.
If other options for disposal of construction debris become available, the city will notify area contractors, she said.
