Current Indiana regulations regarding vegetative covers on multi-layer cap systems recommend a standard seeded turf as defined by the Indiana Department of Transportation. Although in its infancy, the use of native prairie grasses and forbs is beginning to generate interest as a viable vegetative cover. This creative project examines past influences that dictated the selection of vegetative covers, examines the use of native prairie grasses and forbs, and creates and applies a design "model" for an existing hazardous waste site located in Albany, Indiana.The goals of this creative project are to identify standard design guidelines for vegetative covers on hazardous waste and landfill multi-layer cap systems, evaluate standard guidelines and case studies of hazardous waste site vegetative covers, recommend changes to standard design guidelines, recommend an alternative vegetative cover using native prairie plants, apply new design guidelines to an existing hazardous waste site (Muncie Racetrack Site) using the alternative cover, and evaluate the results of the guidelines with the alternative cover. / Department of Landscape Architecture