Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
TIPPECANOE COUNTY
LAFAYETTE

Congressional District # 4

TIPPECANOE SANITARY LANDFILL, INC.

EPA ID# IND980997639
Last Updated: October, 2009

Site Description

Tippecanoe Sanitary Landfill received a permit from the state to operate a landfill on leased land. The 70-acre site is located in a primarily rural area just outside Lafayette, Indiana, and has farmland to the east and north, a gravel quarry operation to the south, and a municipal waste transfer station and county correctional facility to the west. The nearest residence is approximately 200 feet from the waste boundary. The population of Lafayette and West Lafayette is about 85,000, according to the 2000 census data. The principal wastes disposed of at the site were garbage and refuse generated by the local residents, businesses, and industries. Some out-of-state wastes were also sent there. In 1979, the state was advised that the sludge material sent to the landfill since 1973 had been found to contain significant levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).  Disposal of the sludge ceased, but considerable quantities had already been deposited at the site. In 1989, as the result of an agreement reached with the state, the facility stopped accepting any wastes.

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through state and potentially responsible parties' actions.

Threats and Contaminants

Groundwater contamination, including organic and inorganic compounds typically seen in landfill leachate, has been verified at the site. Most of the nearby residences have been using city water since the construction of the transfer station across the street from the landfill. Landfill gas (methane) was escaping from the waste disposal area due to inadequate ventilation or extraction. The escaping gas prompted the installation of detection and alarm systems in nearby residences and businesses. The landfill cover was inadequate and had not been maintained, allowing some wastes to be exposed, including wastes with PCB contamination above acceptable human health exposure standards.  

Cleanup Progress

An Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) was signed in March 1990 by some of the PRPs who agreed to conduct the Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS). The parties to this order included local governments, a university, and businesses with local operations. The State had installed, and the PRP group was maintaining, methane alarms that would alert the occupants of several nearby residences and businesses of the presence of unacceptable levels of landfill gas in their buildings.

A proposed plan, presenting the remedial alternatives and the proposed remedy, was issued in July 1997.  A remedy was selected in September 1997 that included proper closure of the landfill in accordance with the regulations of the state, construction of a perimeter security fence, a landfill cap, a gas extraction system, and a leachate extraction system.  A contingent groundwater remediation component was also included.  If proper closure of the landfill and natural attenuation do not adequately reduce contamination in the groundwater off-site within the specified time period, movement of contaminated groundwater off the site will have to be prevented. The site will have to be maintained and monitored.

An AOC for implementation of the remedy was signed on August 10, 1998. The Remedial Design Workplan was approved on April 16, 1999. The Remedial Design (RD) was completed in June 2000.  The Remedial Action (RA) commenced immediately thereafter. The Preliminary Close-Out Report (PCOR) was prepared and the PCOR inspection was performed in September 2001, which marked the end of the RA phase of the project. The PRP completed performance shakedown activities and the final inspection on the constructed remedy occurred on May 22, 2002.  The Final Close-Out Report (FCOR) was prepared and signed in September 2002. Operation and maintenance activities commenced with acceptance of the FCOR, marking the beginning of long-term operation and maintence (O&M).  Groundwater monitoring, landfill gas monitoring, and leachate level measurements are being performed to monitor the effectiveness of the remedy and compliance with regulatory requirements.

A five-year review was completed in September 2005.  The review indicated that the remedy is effective and the remedy is protective of human health and the environment in the short term.  Any potential threats have been addressed at the site.  Institutional controls required by the ROD appear to be in place.  However, to be protective in the long term, the institutional controls are being evaluated for effectiveness and enforceability.

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
linda kern (kern.linda@epa.gov)
(312) 886-7341

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
janet pope
(312) 353-0628

Aliases

TIPPECANOE SANITARY LANDFILL, INC
TIPPECANOE SAN LDFL

 

Site Profile Information

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