Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
BUTLER COUNTY
WEST CHESTER

Congressional District # 08

SKINNER LANDFILL

EPA ID# OHD063963714
Last Updated: April, 2008

Site Description

The 78-acre Skinner Landfill site is located on a ridge above the east fork of Mill Creek in West Chester, Ohio. The landfill accepted hazardous and demolition wastes since the late 1950's. The actual landfill area covers approximately ten acres and includes a lagoon less than one acre in size, containing hazardous waste and approximately 100 drums of solvents, pesticides, and heavy metals. Approximately 40 feet of demolition material are on top of this lagoon. Demolition waste was accepted until July 1990. The remaining sixty acres of the site contain scrap metal, the owner's residence, and buildings used by the owner for his general contracting business. Waste disposed at the landfill was municipal, commercial, industrial and construction waste. Based largely upon World War II-era activities, the Department of Defense is a potentially responsible party (PRP) at the site, as well as a number of municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, and small transporters in the Cincinnati area. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) placed the Skinner Landfill site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in December 1982. U.S. EPA completed Phase I and II Remedial Investigations, which included the sampling of groundwater, surface water, and soils. Contaminants of concern detected include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs, pesticides, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans. The Feasibility Study was completed in April 1992. A Record of Decision (ROD) for an interim action Operable Unit (OU) was signed by the Regional Administrator of Region 5, U.S. EPA, on September 30, 1992. The ROD consisted of site fencing, connections to the Butler County public water system for potentially affected local users of groundwater, and groundwater monitoring. A Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) for the performance of the actions required by the interim action OU was issued to the twenty then-identified PRPs on December 9, 1992. Several PRPs organized the Skinner Landfill PRP group, and this group fully complied with the requirements of the UAO. Several other PRPs refused to comply with the UAO. 

The ROD for the final OU at the site was signed on June 4, 1993. The final ROD called for a multi-layered Resource Conservation and Recovery Act cap, which was constructed over the area covered by the former dump and the buried waste lagoon. Any contaminated materials found outside of the area to be capped, including contaminated soils found in buried waste pits onsite, were dug up and moved onto the area to be covered by the cap. Contaminated groundwater down gradient of the area to be capped is intercepted, captured, and discharged to the Publicly Owned Treatment Works. 

On March 29, 1994, U.S. EPA entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with the Skinner Landfill PRP group for performance of the Remedial Design of the final remedy contained in the June 4, 1993 ROD. The final design was approved in June 1996. The cost of implementing the approved final design was estimated at $9 million.

Site Responsibility

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

Threats and Contaminants

Liquid sludge in the onsite lagoon was contaminated with heavy metals including cyanide, cadmium, and chromium; VOCs and semi-VOCs; pesticides; PCBs; dioxins; and furans. Groundwater is contaminated with various VOCs and semi-VOCs. Two creeks that border the site contained sediments contaminated with VOCs from sludge migration. Potential health threats included accidental ingestion of and direct contact with contaminated liquid sludge, groundwater, or river sediments. The potential existed for wildlife in the creeks to become contaminated from contaminated sludge. 

Cleanup Progress

The Remedial Action (RA) at the site could not begin until an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) allocation procedure was completed. This allocation procedure was completed in April 1999. Special Notice Letters were sent to the PRPs in February 1999 to initiate RA negotiations. The Consent Decree (CD) negotiated by the parties was signed in April 2000. The CD was entered by the Federal judge on April 2, 2001. RA construction began in April 2001. The Final RA consists of groundwater interception trenches, a slurry wall, a landfill cap, and long-term (30 years) Operation and Maintenance (O & M). The Preliminary Close Out Report was completed on September 27, 2001. The Final Inspection was completed in March 2003. 

The PRPs are conducting operation and maintenance (O&M) at the site. A five-year review was completed in March 2004, indicating that the remedy as implemented was protective of human health and the environment.  The PRPs replaced four piezometers at the site in Spring 2006.  The next five-year review is due in March 2009.   

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
scott hansen (hansen.scott@epa.gov)
(312) 886-1999

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
susan pastor
(312) 353-1325

Aliases

SKINNER LDFL

 

Site Profile Information

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