Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission Facility, Waterloo, Iowa - Fact Sheet, July 2024
Public Comment Period for Draft RCRA Post-Closure Permit
Introduction
EPA Region 7 invites the public to review and comment on the draft Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Post-Closure Permit for the Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission (BHCSWMC) facility, located at 1509 East Washburn Road in Waterloo, Iowa. The 45-day public comment period will run from July 1, 2024, to Aug. 15, 2024. The permit requires the facility to continue post-closure care of two hazardous waste landfill cells.
Background
The facility property includes approximately 39 acres that comprise the two hazardous waste landfill cells, Neutral Trench and Co-Disposal Area. These two landfill cells received hazardous wastes from about 1980 to 1985. Both cells were closed with waste in place by 1989. “Closed” means that no more hazardous or other wastes were to be, nor have been, received and a clay cap cover was installed with vegetation established to stabilize the cap.
A groundwater monitoring well network was installed and a detection sampling program initiated to allow for detection of a release of chemicals from either unit. The continued post-closure care will include a maintenance and inspection program to maintain the integrity of the landfill caps and vegetation and other security features, such as fences and locks.
In addition, a groundwater monitoring program to protect human health and the environment from chemicals in groundwater will continue, with modification as described below.
The permit requires that physical controls, such as a fence and locks, be maintained to secure the facility and wells.
Changes to the Permit
The groundwater monitoring program will continue until cleanup goals are met and maintained for three consecutive years.
When the Post-Closure Permit was reissued in 2014 for a 10-year term, the facility was conducting a detection monitoring program. Detection monitoring requires sampling of monitoring wells at the downgradient edge of a landfill cell to determine if chemicals are migrating from the closed cell. During the 2014 to 2024 permit term, chemicals were detected in downgradient monitoring wells. As required by the permit in response to these detections, the facility requested a permit modification in December 2023 to transition to a compliance and corrective action monitoring program to evaluate if chemical migration is moving off the facility property. If contamination is migrating off the site, additional action will be taken to address this migration.
The detection monitoring program found that the following chemicals in groundwater were above the listed groundwater cleanup goals. Those goals are: arsenic – 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L); chromium – 100 µg/L; vinyl chloride – 2 µg/L; bis-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (also known as DEHP) – 6 µg/L; and 1,4-dioxane – 4.6 µg/L. See online summaries about these chemicals at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's ToxFAQs website.
The cleanup goals identified above are the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) under the Safe Drinking Water Act for all chemicals listed above, except for 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-Dioxane does not have an MCL, so the cleanup goal is the risk-based screening level (RSL) maintained by EPA for an increased cancer risk of one in 100,000.
The facility had a bentonite barrier wall dug into the ground to a depth to intersect the groundwater along the east edge of facility property, directly west of Hess Road. This wall was installed as a protective measure designed to capture chemicals in groundwater downgradient of the landfill cells. A new monitoring well was installed directly off the facility property to the east of the barrier wall to demonstrate that chemicals are not migrating beyond the facility property. In addition, surface water sample locations were added to identify if contamination is migrating off the site via this pathway.
For More Information
The public is encouraged to review and comment on the draft RCRA Post-Closure Permit. The permit and other supporting documents are contained in the Administrative Record and are available at the following locations during normal business hours. If not provided below, call the listed number for hours of business or to otherwise get access to the record.
Waterloo Public Library
415 East Commercial Street
Waterloo, IA 50701
319-291-4476
Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
6200 Park Avenue, Suite 200
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-725-8200
EPA Region 7 Records Center
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
1-800-223-0425
Guidelines for Commenting:
- Explain your views.
- Tell us if you support or disagree with the permit conditions. Please be specific.
- Provide alternatives if you disagree with the permit conditions.
- Submit comments by Aug. 15, 2024.
A public information meeting will be held on July 16, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Waterloo Public Library (see address above).
A formal public hearing has not been scheduled, but will be held if there is sufficient public interest. Requests for a public hearing must be made in writing to Nadine Alzubbi, U.S. EPA Region 7 (LCRD/CAB), 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219 for receipt by Aug. 15, 2024, and must state the nature of issues to be raised at the hearing. EPA will evaluate any request and hold a formal hearing if it finds that a hearing will contribute to the decision-making process by clarifying significant issues affecting the cleanup remedy. A public hearing is more formal than an informational meeting, in that a transcript of the hearing is maintained and specific concerns about the permit are formally documented.
EPA will issue a final RCRA Post-Closure Permit to BHCSWMC, only after the public comment period ends and all comments are reviewed. EPA may modify the permit based on any new information and comments from the public.
Contact Information
You may submit comments or requests for a public hearing to:
Nadine Alzubbi
U.S. EPA Region 7 (LCRD/CAB)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Email: alzubbi.nadine@epa.gov
If you have questions or want to receive a copy of the Administrative Record or further information, please contact:
Patrick Hurley
Community Engagement Specialist
U.S. EPA Region 7 (EJCEERD/CPSIB)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
1-800-223-0425
Email: hurley.patrick@epa.gov