United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA520-F-94-010
Summer 1994
V-/EPA Superfund At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
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Industrial Waste Control
Site Profile
Site Description:
Site Size: 8 acres
heavy metals
Acute toxicity, skin and eye irritation,
respiratoiy Distress, central nervous
system disorders, increased risk of
cancer
Nearby Population Affected:
75 to 100 people within 1/2 mile
YearUstedonNPt; 1982
EPA Region: 6
Congressional District:
Success in Brief
Cooperative Efforts Hasten
Cleanup in Arkansas
Years ago, many people viewed the land as a commodity with unlim-
ited resources to be taken, harnessed, and used up if necessary. Places of
great ecological wealth were logged, mined, monocultured, overgrazed,
or left barren. One scarred remnant of this attitude is a strip mine con-
verted to a landfill called Industrial Waste Control (IWC) near Fort Smith,
Arkansas.
Ten years of hazardous waste dumping contaminated the soil and
tainted area ground water. But the days are gone when irresponsible
land management precedes reckless abandonment. Instead, a group of
companies that had taken industrial wastes to the landfill cooperated to
responsibly clean up the site. Together with officials from the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Arkansas Department of
Pollution Control and Ecology (ADPCE), this old coal strip mine has been
closed forever, the surface restored and replanted with native vegetation.
The IWC site cleanup had a number of notable features: a desire by
private parties to finish the job as quickly as possible, prompting them to
begin work while financial liabilities were being negotiated; and a settle-
ment worth $11.4 million that restored site soil and prevented area drink-
ing water from becoming polluted. By working together, EPA, the state,
and waste contributors saved time,
money, and environmental re-
sources.
.- L_
Workers excavated 20,000 yards of contaminated soil after removing tons
of construction debris from the old strip mine.
The Site Today
Removal operations, soil
contaminant stabilization, and
construction of a slurry wall and
French drain system to contain
ground water pollutants was
completed in 1991. EPA and the
state will commence a five-year
review in 1994. Ground water
monitoring will continue for at
least 30 years, as will inspection
of stormwater diversion ditches
and the multilayer synthetic and
natural-element cap.
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Superfund At Work Industrial Waste Control Site, Arkansas
Summer 1994
Industrial Waste Control
Site, Arkansas
This eight-acre site near
Fort Smith, Arkansas was an
abandoned coal strip mine
that was converted to an
industrial waste landfill.
Several coal mines operated
from the late 1800s through
A Site Snapshot
the 1940s and surface
strip mining commenced
shortly thereafter. When
the mines were aban-
doned in the late 1960s,
indiscriminate dumping
of various solid wastes
ensued.
Industrial Waste Control
took over the property and
obtained an industrial landfill
permit from the ADPCE in
1974. IWC operators accepted
paint wastes, solvents, manu-
facturing process residues, and
heavy metal sludges. IWC
constructed several lagoons on
the property to dispose of
liquid wastes. Volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) including
trichloroethylene, toluene, and
ethyl benzene, as well as heavy
metals including chromium,
lead, nickel, and zinc con-
taminated the site.
Many of these waste
chemicals can cause acute
toxic reactions, skin and eye
irritation, respiratory prob-
lems, increased risk of cancer,
and central nervous system
disorders. The site is located
in a rural area, but 18 homes
are within a half-mile radius,
and the nearest residence is
200 feet away. Although
none of these homes rely on
private wells for drinking
water, several local wells are
used for growing crops and
maintain various types of
livestock.
Industrial Waste
Control Site
Timeline
«Site listed on NPL
* ADPCE doses landfill
» Fish kill and cattle deaths
IWC obtains industrial landfill peimft
1
Coal Mining
Indiscriminate
Dumping
1940s
1960s 1970s
2
1974 1977 1978 1982
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Superfund At Work Industrial Waste Control Site, Arkansas Summer 1994
Toxic Chemicals Dumped in Abandoned
Strip Mine Threatened Rural Serenity
Livestock Deaths Provoke
Landowner Suit
The IWC site came to the
attention of Arkansas environ-
mental officials in March 1977
when the waste lagoons flooded
and contaminated nearby
livestock pastures and ponds,
poisoning fish and several head
of cattle. Local landowners
filed for damages, and so the
operator covered the landfill with
soil, planted grasses and ground
covers, and abandoned the
property in 1978. Shortly
thereafter, EB\ began prelimi-
nary assessments to characterize
the severity of contamination.
IWC was one of hundreds
of problem industrial sites that
brought about passage of the
Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act in 1980. This law
EPA studies site contaminants
' EPA identifies remedial options for public comment
established the "Superfund"
program to clean up the myriad
problems associated with
improper hazardous waste
disposal. IWC qualified for
federal cleanup assistance in
December 1982 after placement
on the National Priorities List
(NPL), EPA's roster of uncon-
trolled or abandoned hazardous
waste sites.
Samples Find VOCs
and Heavy Metals
A two-year comprehensive
investigation included surveys,
residential well and surface water
samples, and underground
exploration activities. Toxic
substances were found in various
concentrations in site soil, sedi-
ment, and perched ground water.
During these studies, EPA in-
stalled monitoring wells to deter-
/
En
PubHc meeting held
EPA selects final remedy, settles with 10 parties
y * Construction completed
First five-year review
* Qperalon &
1984-1985 1986-1987 1988 1989
1991 1994 Ongoing
3
mine where contaminants had
migrated off site into area ground
water. In June 1986, EPA pre-
sented six potential cleanup
alternatives to local residents for
review and comment.
In the meantime, several waste
contributors formed the IWC
Steering Committee and con-
ducted a Hydrogeologic and
Waste Quantification Study that
was completed in 1987. This
study located buried drums
containing both solid and liquid
wastes and helped map out
underground mine tunnels north
of the site.
Although local water sources
remained uncontaminated, the
buried drums could easily have
disintegrated, releasing addi-
tional wastes to percolate
through the soil and further
contaminate ground water
through the extensive under-
ground mine tunnels.
EPA Takes a Second Look
In 1988, EPA conducted an
endangerment assessment outlin-
ing potential health and environ-
mental hazards associated with
the site. Data and summaries of
all the site investigations were
made available for public review
at local libraries, the county
courthouse, the ADPCE office in
Little Rock, and the EPA office in
Dallas, Texas.
EPA explained the various
studies, outlined cleanup options,
and answered questions at a
public meeting held in May, 1988
at the Sebastian County Court-
house. Citizens were satisfied
continued on page 4
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Superfund At Work Industrial Waste Control Site, Arkansas
Summer 1994
continued from page 3
with EPA's preferred remedy
and eager for cleanup activities
to begin.
After a two-month public
comment period, EPA selected
the remedy that most effectively
reduced the volume, toxicity,
and mobility of the hazardous
materials at the site, based on
technical feasibility, long-term
effectiveness, and cost. EPA's
proposal was to treat the most
highly contaminated wastes,
restrict the movement of on-site
ground water, and avert any
off-site migration of contaminants.
Responsible Parties
Conduct Cleanup
In July 1988, EPA began nego-
tiations with waste contributors
to conduct a comprehensive
remediation of the site. Ten par-
ties agreed to settle and began the
construction design, a cooperative
action that saved 18 months.
EPA approved their design in
August 1989 and remedial work
began in November. Initial steps
involved removing approximately
300 drums filled with hazardous
liquid to an approved off-site
incineration facility. The cleanup
crew then excavated 20,000 cubic
yards of contaminated soil and
mixed solidifying agents with the
wastes to deactivate the toxic
substances. Workers also in-
stalled a fence around the perim-
eter of the site.
To prevent the movement of
contaminants in ground water,
an underground barrier called a
slurry wall was constructed
around the area to contain the
chemical istes.
Workers ti JL the entire
area with a m^^-iayer cap con-
sisting of a synthetic liner, clay,
soil, and natural vegetation.
Ditches and earthen berms
were built to divert rain water
from contaminated areas. Water
collecting in the ditches flowed
into a French drain, a perforated
pipe surrounded by a sand and
gravel filter. Diverting precipita-
tion from the protective cap
prevented any further migration
of pollutants that could have
leached into area ground water.
Construction was completed
in March 1991, under EPA and
Success at
IWC site
A high degree of coopera-
tion among representatives
from EPA, the State of Arkan-
sas, and waste contributors
was a major factor in the IWC
site cleanup, helping reduce
cleanup time and environ-
mental hazards. Community
relations efforts kept the
public informed and ensured
participation in the remedy
selection. A multi-layer
protective cover encapsulates
the waste and protects drink-
ing water sources for future
generations.
state supervision. EPA will
conduct a five-year review in
1994. The responsible parties will
periodically monitor ground
water quality to ensure that the
selected remedy is effective in the
future.
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