Region 5 Superfund

U.S. EPA REGION 5
DAKOTA COUNTY
BURNSVILLE

Congressional District # 02

FREEWAY SANITARY LANDFILL

EPA ID# MND038384004
Last Updated: September, 2012

Site Description

The Freeway Sanitary Landfill site covers 140 acres in Burnsville, Minnesota.  In 1971 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MCPA) licensed the landfill to accept 1,962-acre feet of household, commercial, demolition, and nonhazardous industrial wastes. The state permit prohibited the disposal of liquids and hazardous wastes; however, heavy metals, acids, and bases were accepted by the landfill from local industries. The landfill also accepted 200 cubic yards of battery casings and 448 tons of aluminum sweat furnace slag.  Overall, the landfill contains nearly 5 million cubic yards of waste.  Currently, the waste is covered by a low permeability soil cover.

City of Burnsville municipal water supply wells are located about 4,000 feet to the south of the landfill.  These wells serve approximately 36,000 people. Currently the groundwater beneath the Freeway Landfill flows into the nearby Kraemer Quarry due to long term dewatering of the quarry for mining purposes. When this pumping ceases, the ground water flow will revert to its natural direction and the contaminated ground water will flow into the Minnesota River aproximately 400 feet from the landfill.  

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through State actions.  The site is currently designated as State Enforcement Lead under an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the MPCA.  The site is also a qualified facility eligible to part of the Minnesota Closed Landfill Program, but has not been entered into that program.

Threats and Contaminants

Groundwater contains contaminants which exceed drinking water standards including VOCs such as tetrachloroethelene and vinyl chloride, and manganese and thallium.  Other contaminants exceed surface water criteria.  Exposure to contaminated groundwater is possible if the pollutants migrate to the Burnsville municipal well field or discharges into the Minnesota River where wildlife could be harmed.   Landfill gases may also be a threat at the site.  Two business office buildings are located approximately 60 feet and 140 feet from the waste footprint.  Currently no landfill gas venting system exists at the site. 

Cleanup Progress

In 1986, EPA began an investigation into the nature and extent of contamination at the site.  In 1989, MPCA became the lead agency for the investigation.  The site is a qualified facility eligible to part of the Minnesota Closed Landfill Program, but has not been entered into that program.  MPCA has iissued Areas of Concern for landfill gases and groundwater at the site.  Based on the large mass of waste present, the lack of a landfill gas venting system and gas monitoring data, and recognizing the potential for gas to migrate under seasonal low permeable (frozen) conditions, the MPCA has established a methane gas area of concern which extends 300 feet beyond the waste footprint.  Based on groundwater flow conditions at the site, the MPCA also has established a groundwater area of concern which extends out from the waste footprint.  Additional measures are needed concerning both the landfill and the groundwater to assure long-term protection of human health and the environment.  Currently, pumping related to the nearby quarry operation is controlling human exposure to groundwater.  When this pumping ceases, additional measures will also be needed to assure that human exposure to groundwater remains controlled and to protect the nearby river environment. 

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
leah evison (evison.leah@epa.gov)
(312) 886-2064

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
Don De Blasio
(312) 886-4360

Aliases

FREEWAY SANITARY LDFL

 

Site Profile Information

This profile provides you with information on EPA's cleanup progress at this Superfund site.