Bid awarded for project to cap old landfill site

The Advocate has learned work is slated to begin on the project to cap an old landfill site on Spencer Road near Whitaker Lane beginning Aug. 24.

The Kentucky Division of Waste Management informed the Advocate that a contract for the work had been awarded to L&M Excavation and Concrete at a cost of $1,192,650.

L&M was one of five companies that submitted bids for the project.

Work is expected to conclude in the spring of 2027, Robin Hartman, executive director of the office of communications for the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, told the Advocate.

The project comes 40 years after a preliminary assessment of the landfill was conducted by the Division of Waste Management that warned of potential dangers of groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, soil contamination, drinking water contamination, air contamination and direct contact exposure.

Hartman told the Advocate recently the cabinet was able to secure sufficient funding this year for the project and was currently securing the site to help protect groundwater resources.

The site served as a city of Mt. Sterling landfill from 1964-1973. The 1986 assessment, which was obtained by the Advocate, claims Hobart Manufacturing dumped thousands of gallons of chemicals at the site.

Approximately two years after the landfill operation began, 22 cattle in the adjacent pasture reportedly died, a former landowner claimed to the division. Birth defects were also reported among the cattle.

During site reconnaissance in 1986, the assessment claimed partially buried drums were seen over the entire 20-acre area and that "leachate outbreaks were numerous and widespread."

At the time, the landowner claimed he had tried growing different grasses on the area, but none would grow.

The Advocate obtained a copy of a letter addressed to Joel Vester with the Environmental Protection Agency's Air and Hazardous Materials  Division regional office from Robert Burns, senior environmentalist with the state Division of Waste Management Uncontrolled Site Section.

The letter from Burns stated the landfill might qualify for the EPA's National Priority List. 

For whatever reason, officials said the site never made it to the list and remained under the purview of the Division of Waste Management.

The 1986 preliminary assessment claimed the wastes included: spent halogenated solvents used in degreasing, spent non-halogentated solvents, waste water treatment sludges from electroplating operation; spent cyanide plating bat solutions from electroplating operations where cyanide was used; spent stripping and cleaning bath solutions from electroplating operations where cyanide was used; and paint waste.

Hobart reported it had disposed of in excess of 480,000 pounds and 6,900 drums of waste at this landfill, the assessment claimed.

The assessment claimed thousands of gallons of sodium hydroxide, methyl ethyl ketone waste paint and cyanide were allegedly dumped at the site.

The assessment claimed the probability of soil contamination was high.

Water runoff from the disposal of the site was mainly southwest toward Spencer Creek, approximately a quarter of a mile away, according to the assessment.

It also noted the Mt. Sterling water intake was located along Slate Creek, approximately two miles north/northeast from the landfill.