&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response
(5201G)
EPA 540/F-98/022
OSWER 9365.0-3FS
PB98-963307
January 1999
Returning Superfund Sites
To Productive Use
Bowers Landfill
Pickaway County, Ohio
BEFORE
Hazardous waste
landfill filled with
municipal,
chemical, and
industrial waste
AFTER
Wetlands home for
plants, wildlife, and
migratory birds
IMPACT
Productive use of
land as an
ecological
sanctuary
Wetlands support complex aquatic food chains, provide protected areas for developing
fish, and offer essential food and habitat for birds, wildlife, and plant species.
During a routine inspection of the Bowers Landfill in 1971, local health officials
were alarmed to discover an unusually high concentration of chemicals in an
area next to the Scioto River, a major waterway in central Ohio. Because the river
is known to flood regularly, the officials knew that a creative solution would be
needed to clean up the contamination. After further investigations of the site
revealed that large quantities of chemical and industrial wastes had been dumped
at the landfill, EPA and the state worked together to develop that creative solution.
What resulted was the creation of seven acres of wetlands in an area between the
river and the landfill. The wetlands not only provide a protective buffer between the
landfill and the river, but they also provide a safe habitat for numerous species of
plants, birds, and other wildlife. What follows is the story of how EPA worked with
others to develop this creative solution for the site, and how it was returned to
productive use with economic impacts and environmental and social benefits.
Bowers Landfill Superfund Site
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Bowers Landfill
Ohio
PROBLEM
• Soil, groundwater, and
surface water
contaminated with
volatile organic
compounds and PCBs
• Hazardous and non-
hazardous surface debris
SOLUTION
• Surface debris removed
to a licensed facility
• Sediments removed and
dewatered
• Clay cap constructed
• Groundwater monitoring
system installed
PARTNERS
• U.S. EPA
• Ohio EPA
• Ohio Division of Wildlife
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
• Local community
Site Snapshot
Bowers Landfill started in 1958 as a rock quarry, but soon was being used as a
municipal dump. From 1963 to 1968, landfill operators also accepted chemical and
industrial waste. As was common practice in those days, the waste was dumped
directly on the ground and covered with soil. When the site was abandoned in 1968, the
debris and soil contaminated with chemicals were left behind. Rain and floodwaters
carried this contamination into the groundwater under the site and the nearby Scioto
River.
Before
The East Ditch, located at the south end of Bowers Landfill,
contained discarded tires and debris.
From Waste...
Because of the unsafe conditions at Bowers Landfill, EPA placed the site on its list of
hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. In 1991, EPA awarded funds to the Ohio EPA
to carry out a cleanup plan that would contain the contamination and prevent it from
migrating to the Scioto River. The Ohio EPA hauled away the debris and used clean
clay from elsewhere on the site to build a cap over the landfill. In addition, they took
measures to manage drainage and erosion concerns, and installed a system to prevent
the build-up of explosive gas under the cap. Finally, Ohio EPA installed a fence and
other security measures to prevent people from entering the site. With the site cleaned
up, EPA deleted the site from its list of hazardous waste sites in 1997.
... To Wetlands
In addition to cleaning up the site, EPA and the Ohio EPA decided they had to do
something to protect the newly-capped landfill from the fioodwaters that frequently
inundate the land along the Scioto River. The site's location near the river made it ideal
for creating wetlands. This innovative and cost-effective use of the land would not only
control flooding, but provide a benefit to the surrounding ecosystem. EPA used
recommendations from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to design and create these new wetlands. Using the seven-acre pit the Ohio
EPA created when it dug up the clay for the landfill cap, EPA graded it for waterways
and retention ponds, and seeded the area to promote plant growth. The wetlands
flourished and now provide a safe habitat for a variety of species.
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During
1993: After excavating soil,
the west field was graded and
seeded to support wetlands.
After
1997: Wetlands that were created during the cleanup
flourish with a variety of plants and wildlife.
Community Benefits
Wetlands provide a wealth of benefits to their surrounding areas. For example, they filter
sediment, nutrients, toxins, microorganisms, and heavy metals from water, and help to
purify drinking water by filtering polluted runoff from roads and farms. Wetlands also
create a nurturing environment for plants and wildlife; in fact, wetlands provide spawning
grounds for 75 to 90 percent of our nation's commercial fish and shellfish harvests. The
wetlands created at the Bowers Landfill site will benefit the surrounding communities in
many other ways as well. For example, whenever the Scioto River floods, they will
absorb the flood waters and release them slowly, thereby reducing possible damage to the
protective cover over the landfilL Surrounding communities will also benefit from new
recreational opportunities at the site, such as hunting, fishing, canoeing, and wildlife
photography. Local property owners also have seen their property values increase. The
now picturesque landscape at the former landfill is a source of pride for the community,
and the seven-acre wetlands is contributing to the 400,000 acres of land that Ohio hopes
to restore to wetlands by 2010.
Keys to Success
The partnership among U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service was instrumental in cleaning up and creating the wetlands on Bowers
Landfill. In addition, the nearby residents and representatives from the City of Circleville
and Pickaway County formed the Bowers Landfill Information Committee, which helped
keep the community involved and informed. Committee members provided site managers
with suggestions and community reaction and feedback throughout the cleanup and
redevelopment process, and acted as a channel for community concerns.
POSITIVE
ECONOMIC IMPACTS
• 100+ jobs per year
supported during two
years of cleanup
• $2.6 million in annual
income associated with
cleanup jobs
• Roughly $628,000
potential increase in total
residential property
values within two miles of
the site
ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS
• Elimination of health
threats from exposure to
contaminated soil, and
ground and surface
water
• Creation of a seven-acre
wetlands adjacent to the
Scioto River, a major
migration corridor for
waterfowl and shorebirds
• Preservation of habitat
for several species of .
fish, reptiles, amphibians,
and mammals, including
the endangered Indiana
bat
• Advancement of Ohio's
goal of restoring 400,000
acres of wetlands by
2010
SOCIAL BENEFITS
• Improvement of the
aesthetic quality of local
landscape
• Renewal of civic pride in
achieving the successful
cleanup of a hazardous
waste landfill
Bowers Landfill Superfund Site
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Cleanup and Redevelopment
1. Construction of
a cap over the
landfill
2. Wetlands during
redevelopment
3, Wetlands after
redevelopment
Want to Know More?
The Technical Appendix to this fact sheet provides detailed information on the economic impacts associated with this site,
including the specific calculations used, sources of information, and possible limitations associated with the calculations.
To obtain copies of the Technical Appendix for this fact sheet, or to learn more about the economic analyses performed for
this site or other Superfund sites, please write to reuse.info@epa.gov or contact:
Melissa Friedland
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(703)603-8864
For more information about the cleanup and redevelopment of the Bowers Landfill site, contact:
Dave Wilson, Remedial Project Manager
U.S. EPA - Region 05
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
(312)886-1476
wilson.david@epa.gov
To learn more about the redevelopment or reuse of Superfund sites, write to reuse.info@epa.gov, or call the Superfund
Hotline at 800-553-7672 or (703) 412-3323 (Washington, DC area).
To see this fact sheet, and similar fact sheets showing how Superfund sites have been returned to productive use, visit our
Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/accomp/redevel/
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