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NPL Site Narrative for Adams County Quincy Landfills 2&3
ADAMS COUNTY QUINCY LANDFILLS #2 & #3
Quincy, Illinois
Federal Register Notice: August 30, 1990Conditions at proposal (June 24, 1988): Adams County Quincy Landfills #2 and #3 are approximately 5 miles east of Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. Landfill #2 covers 11.75 acres and Landfill #3 approximately 40 acres. In 1973 and 1975, they were permitted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to accept solid waste.
As the only operating, permitted landfills in Adams County from September 1972 to August 1978, the Quincy municipal landfills received the majority of the county's waste, including putrescible, nonputrescible, demolition, combustible, and hazardous materials. IEPA records show that the City of Quincy accepted liquid industrial waste for disposal into pits until the liquids could be pumped into the covered portions of the site. The site was unlined. Wastes disposed of included solvents, acids, sludges containing heavy metals, spent organic solvents used in degreasing, waste water treatment sludges from electroplating operations, hydraulic oil, machine coolants, thinners, acetone, and toluene. An estimated 23,000 drums of hazardous wastes were accepted. The site involved area fill and trench fill operations.
Ground water samples taken on-site by IEPA in September 1985, January 1986, and April 1986 showed contamination by 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, benzene, and selenium. In June 1985 and August 1986, IEPA sampled two nearby private wells. One well was contaminated by 1,1-dichloroethane, dichloroethylene, chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and benzene. (Both wells were closed, and the city provided an alternative water supply.) Other wells showed elevated levels of iron, cyanide, and zinc. An estimated 300 people obtain drinking water from private wells within 3 miles of the site.
In an inspection in 1984, EPA observed leachate seeps and ponds at the site, threatening nearby surface waters. The site is not completely fenced, making it possible for people and animals to come into direct contact with hazardous substances.
In mid-1987, a contractor for a number of parties potentially responsible for wastes associated with the site started a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action.
Status (August 30, 1990): In April 1990, as part of the RI/FS, two pump tests were conducted to determine the relationship between the shallow and deep aquifers and to determine if multiple ground water pathways exist at the site. The test report was scheduled to be completed in July 1990.
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.