Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
OTTAWA COUNTY
PARK TOWNSHIP

Congressional District # 02

SOUTHWEST OTTAWA COUNTY LANDFILL

EPA ID# MID980608780
Last Updated: August, 2006

Site Description

The 43-acre Southwest Ottawa County Landfill is located in Park Township, Michigan, and operated as a state licensed landfill until its closure in 1981. The landfill was constructed by Ottawa County in 1968 and received solvents; heavy metals; sludges; oils; municipal refuse; and drums, containing unspecified wastes. Lake Michigan is approximately one-half mile from the site in a mixed agricultural and residential area. Degradation of the groundwater has occurred and commingles with the adjacent site, Waste Management-Holland Lagoons. The major contaminants in the groundwater include: benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), ethyl ether, chlorobenzene, xylene, and iron. 

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal and state actions. 

Threats and Contaminants

The major contaminants in the groundwater include: benzene, TCE, ethyl ether, chlorobenzene, xylene, and iron. The contamination of the subsurface soil below the landfill contributed to the groundwater contamination. The primary health threat of concern is drinking contaminated groundwater or eating plants irrigated with contaminated groundwater. The landfill is capped and fenced, minimizing the potential for contact. 

Cleanup Progress

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is the lead agency for this site. Under the Consent Order, issued by the state, the site was closed and capped in 1981. In 1984, a Groundwater Restoration Agreement (GRA) between Ottawa County and the state was signed and resulted in the installation of a groundwater purge, activated carbon adsorption, and an iron removal treatment system. In August 1992, the groundwater purge and treatment systems monitoring and sampling plan was amended to track the performance of two new purge wells that the state required the county to install to close gaps where breakthrough between original purge wells was occurring. In 1994, the county installed additional monitoring wells at the request of the state to monitor potential contamination, emanating from the northwest corner of the site. The state and the county have initiated negotiations to update the 1984 Groundwater Restoration Agreement and improve the performance of the selected remedy both in cost and effectiveness. 

On October 27, 1997, with the cooperation of MDEQ, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) completed a second five-year review of the site. In this review, U.S. EPA concluded that the existing GRA continues to be protective of human health and the environment for organic contaminants. However, new information, concerning the presence of inorganic contaminants, suggests that the agreement may not be fully protective. MDEQ has done additional residential sampling and has determined that wells are not contaminated. The responsible party has conducted other additional sampling, and MDEQ is in the process of the reassessment of the chosen remedial alternative to ensure that it remains the most appropriate remedy. A third five-year review was done on this site in September 2003.

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
bernard schorle (schorle.bernard@epa.gov)
(312) 886-4746

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
stuart hill
(312) 886-0689

Aliases

SOUTH OTTAWA DISPOSAL CORP
SOUTHWEST OTTAWA LDFL
SOUTHWEST OTTAWA COUNTY LDFL

 

Site Profile Information

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