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NPL Site Narrative for White Farm Equipment Co. Dump
WHITE FARM EQUIPMENT CO. DUMP
Charles City, Iowa
Federal Register Notice: August 30, 1990Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): The White Farm Equipment Co. Dump occupies approximately 20 acres along the north border of Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa. The dump is an old sand/gravel pit that is bordered along the northwest and southern edges by wetlands. Tractors and other farm equipment have been manufactured near the dump since the early 1900s. Allied Products Co. purchased the operation in late 1986.
White Farm Equipment operated on land leased from H.E. Construction Co. until it filed for bankruptcy in 1980. Starting in the 1920s, White Farm's operations generated foundry sand, sludges, and dust from air pollution control equipment. Nearby residents have complained of dust blowing off the dump. White Farm hauled at least 6,300 tons of foundry sand and 47,000 cubic yards of sludges to the dump.
In April 1986, EPA detected arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc in on-site soils, private wells downgradient of the site, and sediments and surface water in the adjacent wetlands. Charles City draws its drinking water from the aquifer underlying the site. An estimated 10,000 people obtain drinking water from public and private wells within 3 miles of the site. The contaminated wetlands flow into the Cedar River, which is used for recreational activities.
Status (August 30, 1990): In April 1989, EPA signed an Administrative Order on Consent with Allied Products Co. and H.E. Construction Co. requiring the companies to conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS). The order called for (1) determining the nature and extent of contamination in fill material, soils, sediments, surface water, and ground water at the site, (2) investigating potential hydrologic interactions between the water table and the city wells adjacent to the site, and (3) identifying alternatives for remedial action.
The RI/FS is about to be released for public comment. The RI/FS documents low levels of metals in the fill material and a localized plume of shallow ground water with organic contamination.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.