MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
Vaulted Deep celebrated a significant expansion Tuesday afternoon with a ribbon cutting at its Great Plains facility, located south of Hutchinson along K-14 Highway. The project will triple the facility’s waste intake capacity and add more than 22 new full-time jobs to the area.
The company specializes in the permanent storage of organic waste materials — including contaminated wooden waste, biosolids, and surplus manure — by depositing them deep underground in the state’s salt caverns.
“The site’s story starts with Underground Cavern Solutions,” said Co-founder and Executive Director Omar Abou-Sayed. “They recognized the potential of the salt caverns for permanent and safe storage.”
Abou-Sayed expressed his gratitude to employees and workers for their dedication to the project, which builds on more than a decade of operations at the site.
“This is an incredible example of working together,” added Co-founder and CEO Julia Reichelstein. “You guys have welcomed us not as outsiders but as community members.”
The facility is regulated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Strict compliance includes groundwater monitoring to ensure there is no local contamination. Each load of waste is vetted by KDHE’s groundwater division, and only non-reusable waste is accepted. Abou-Sayed noted that the site is currently about 5% full, with a total storage capacity of 6 million barrels. Today, approximately 700,000 to 800,000 barrels of cavern space are available for use.
Community leaders attended the ribbon cutting to show support for Vaulted Deep’s expansion. Hutchinson Mayor Stacy Goss congratulated the company, emphasizing the city’s continued backing. Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Debra Teufel said the expansion will strengthen the county’s diverse economy.
“We look forward to helping Vaulted Deep be a part of the chamber family,” Teufel said. “Economic development is a team sport.”