Defunct landfill site to be capped; state solicits bids for project

By Tom Marshall

Senior Advocate writer

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

In 1986, the Division of Waste Management performed a preliminary assessment of an old landfill site on Spencer Road.

The landfill, on Spencer Road about half a mile east of Whitaker Lane, is a short distance away from Upper Spencer Church of Christ on what is now called Fairy Ring Farm LLC.

The Advocate attempted to reach the current owner but was unsuccessful at press time.

The landfill was in use prior to the opening of the Rumpke landfill on Orear Road.

“The potential environmental and health hazard that exists at this fill includes groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, soil contamination, drinking water contamination, food chain contamination, air contamination and direct contact exposure,” the assessment warned.

The letter from Burns stated the landfill might qualify for the EPA’s National Priority List. The landfill served as the city’s dump from 1964 to 1973.

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 assessment claimed that water runoff from the disposal site was mainly southwest toward Spencer Creek, approximately a quarter of a mile away.

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

At the time, the assessment said Mt. Sterling Water Works was serving 12,111 customers, supplied potable water to the Jeffersonville Water System (Jeffersonville is now served by Cave Run Water) serving 2,062 customers; the Levee Road Water Association serving 780; the Montgomery Water District serving 1,200; and the Reid Village Water District serving 1,615.

The assessment claimed numerous buried drums were observed during a reconnaissance performed Jan. 24, 1986.

Some of the material was characterized as flammable in the assessment.

Burns’ letter recommended a site investigation be conducted “to characterize the nature of the contamination at this abandoned landfill.”

“Due to the lack of cover materials, any volatile material remaining in these rusting drums would be emitted into the air,” the assessment warned.

The assessment claimed a landowner grazed cattle on the area of the old landfill.

“Any chemical contaminate capable of bioaccumulation could be transported through milk or meat from these cattle,” the assessment claimed.

According to the assessment, approximately two years after the landfill began operation, 22 cattle in an adjacent downdradient pasture reportedly died.

The landowner also reported problems with birth defects of calves from the cattle grazing on the old landfill site, the assessment claimed.

During the site reconnaissance in 1986, the assessment claimed partially buried drums were seen over the entire 20-acre site.

“Leachate outbreaks were numerous and widespread,” the assessment claimed. “The current landowner stated he has tried growing different grasses on the area, but none will grow.”

The assessment claimed the Hobart Corp. informed the EPA of hazardous waste its facility had reportedly disposed of at the landfill.

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

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 hyrdroxide, methyl ethyl ketone waste paint and cyanide were allegedly dumped at the site.

The assessment claimed the probability of soil contamination was high.

“If the trenches were dug to the bedrock the shallow groundwater overlying the bedrock would have a high potential for contamination,” the assessment claimed.