United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA520-F-93-005
Spring 1993
& EPA Superfund At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Powersville
Site Profile
Site Description;
A municipal landfill in an agricultural
area of Peach County, Georgia
Site Size: 15 acres
Primary Contaminants:
Pesticides, vinyl chloride, copper,
zinc, and lead
Potential Range of Health Risks:
Direct contact with contaminants
could cause skin rashes or
respiratory problems
Nearby Population Affected:
150 people within one mile
Ecological Concerns:
Orchards, crops and livestock
Year Listed on NPL: 1984
EPA Region: IV
State: Georgia
Congressional District: 3
Pesticide Contamination At Powersville Dump
Sand and gravel quarry
activities for 30 years
Lizzie Chapel Baptist
Church well water
contaminated
Household wastes,
pesticides and chemical
by-prpducts dumped
Contaminants migrate into soil and ground water
aquifer and wells threatened.
Success In Brief
Pesticide Contamination
Addressed At Powersville
Dump Site
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encountered
much more than a municipal landfill at the Powersville site in Peach
County, Georgia. Contamination from improperly dumped hazardous
wastes and pesticides tainted an old quarry used for household gar-
bage. Chemicals migrating into area ground water threatened local
drinking water supplies. To address these issues, EPA's Superfund
program designed a cleanup strategy that included:
• Negotiating with the county and chemical companies to contain
the hazardous wastes on site underneath a protective cover;
• Investigating reports of drinking water contamination and
extending municipal water lines to affected residents; and
• Conducting a tailored community relations program to inform
and educate residents about the site.
EPA's Superfund program effectively halted the further migration of
contaminants into the environment and ensured the safety of future
drinking water supplies.
The Site Today
A multi-layer synthetic cover was
completed in 1992, and is containing
wastes at the site. Construction has
been completed to extend municipal
water lines to homes with affected
wells.
An alternate drinking water
supply will become available hi
spring 1993, and final inspection is
scheduled for fall 1993.
U.S. Ervlrcpmsn^ P--olocl;c». Agency
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Superfund At Work « Powersville Dump, Peach County, GA • Spring 1993
A Site Snapshot
The Powersville landfill
covers 15 acres in Peach
County, Georgia. The sur-
rounding area is •••••••
mainly agri-
cultural, used
for orchards and
raising live-
stock. The Lizzie
Chapel Baptist
Church is
pesticides and chemical by-
products at the site.
The landfill's floor is com-
•••••••••••• posed mainly of
sand and gravel,
allowing water
and contami-
nants to move
freely through
the soil. Vinyl
chloride, zinc,
adjacent to the site, and about copper, lead, and pesticides all
150 people live within one mile, migrated into ground water
Sand and gravel were quar- and soil. Fifteen area drinking
Vinyl chloride, zinc,
copper, lead and
pesticides
migrated into
ground water and soil
ried at the site from the early
1940s to 1969. That year, Peach
County began using the quarry
as a sanitary landfill. For 10
years, the landfill received
primarily household wastes.
An undetermined number of
companies also disposed of
wells and the aquifer under-
neath the site were threatened.
Contact with contaminated
soil could cause skin rashes or
respiratory problems. Drinking
affected water could have led
to an increased risk of cancer in
both residents and cattle.
Poweisville Gr<
For nearly 30 years, the
Powersville site was a sand and
gravel quarry that supplied
construction materials. In 1969,
when other county dumps were
full, Peach County began using
the pit as a landfill for household
and industrial wastes. The site
received wastes daily.
Disposal and maintenance
activities were monitored regu-
larly by county officials. During
this time, an unknown number of
companies also dumped pesti-
cides, their containers, and chemi-
cals used in pesticide production
at the site. Such practices were
common then, since the dangers
of pesticides were not widely
recognized.
Powersville Dump
Timeline
Superfund enacted
DNR orders landfill closed
• Peach County constructs
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Superfund At Work
Powersville Dump, Peach County, GA
Spring 1993
1 Quany Filled With Hazardous Waste
Many of these pesticides have the obvious disposal of pesticides
since been banned from domestic at the landfill and recommended
use. The production, sale and use that a separate hazardous waste
of DDT, for example, was banned disposal section be created so that
in 1972. At this time,
a wide range of other
environmental issues
was becoming part
of the national con-
sciousness.
Early Efforts
Protect Environment
and Citizens
During a routine
inspection in October
1972, Environmental
Protection Division (EPD) officials
from Georgia's Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) took a
new look at the Powersville
dump. EPD voiced concern over
pesticides could be moni-
tored and controlled.
In the summer of
1973, following EPD's
specifications, Peach
County officials
designated a
separate one-
acre area for
the hazardous
wastes. They
lined it with five
feet of clay and ran
trenches through the area to
collect runoff and prevent pesti-
cide migration.
Without these precautions,
contaminated rain water could
Powersville
Peach County, GA
either have seeped into the soil
and ground water or run off the
site onto surrounding land. The
county also enclosed the area
with a cyclone fence, and posted
warning signs.
In March 1977, EPD recom-
mended that further disposal of
these pesticides at the site be
prohibited and asked the Peach
County Board of Commissioners
to close the landfill. The EPD
expressed concern that despite
the precautions taken, the sand
and gravel floor could still permit
chemicals to filter into soil and
ground water, threatening drink-
ing supplies. In early 1979, the
county stopped accepting all
wastes at the site.
Residents complain of odors, strange taste of water
Well at Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church contaminated
State requests EPA assistance
Site listed on NPL
fe-» CDC reviews drinking water report
Site studies completed
Cleanup plan proposed
Public meetings held
r
Cleanup design completed
Construction of cap begins
Cap completed
/» • Alternate water
supply constructed
(planned)
1983 1984 1985
1987 1988
1991 1992 1993
— Page 3
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Superfund At Work
Powersville Dump, Peach County, GA
Spring 1993
On The Horizon An expansive vista of cleanup activities at the
Powersville site. The white building visible near the site is Lizzie
Chapel Baptist Church.
State Officials Detect
Ground Water Problems
While the Powersville dump
was still accepting wastes, local
residents complained to EPD
about foul odors and wastes
blowing from the site. They also
reported that their drinking water
tasted bad and was often discol-
ored. In 1983, EPD began sam-
pling area wells for contamina-
tion, and found that a well at the
By August 1983,
EPD officials
recommended that
church members stop
using their well water
church next to the site was con-
taminated with trace levels of
pesticides.
In May 1983, EPD sampled
several other wells in the area, but
none showed evidence of con-
tamination. EPD analysts re-
tested the church well, and found
that the contamination levels had
increased. Contaminated ground
water was moving from under-
neath the site and affecting the
church's drinking supplies. By
August 1983, EPD officials recom-
mended that church members
stop using their well water.
EPD then contacted the EPA
Superfund program for assis-
tance. This national cleanup
program had been launched in
1980 in response to widespread
concern about hazardous waste
sites around the country.
EPA's Site Study
Assesses Threats
In response to the state's
request, EPA proposed
Powersville to the National
Priorities List (NPL), the nation's
roster of hazardous waste sites
eligible for cleanup under the
Superfund program. In Septem-
ber 1983, EPA began studying the
ground water problem by moni-
toring the site and the surround-
ing area to determine whether the
contamination was spreading,
and if so, how fast. Samples from
monitoring wells confirmed that
ground water beneath the site
was contaminated with pesti-
cides, metals and vinyl chloride.
Based on these findings, the site
was officially listed on the NPL in
September 1984.
EPA's Community Relations
Allay Local Concerns
Concerned by the sampling
results, residents asked that their
wells be re-tested and EPA
complied. Samples revealed
extremely low levels of contami-
nation in some private wells.
The levels of contaminants
were within the safety standards
set by the Safe Drinking Water
Act. Nevertheless, Superfund
staff wanted to reassure the
community as to the accuracy
of the testing. Thus, EPA re-
quested that the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) review
sampling results to ensure that
the drinking water posed no
threat to residents.
In April 1985, CDC confirmed
EPA's findings; there was no need
to provide an alternate water
supply to the community.
This outside analysis was just
one of the many extra steps
Superfund staff took to satisfy the
concerns of area residents. Parties
responsible for the contamination at
the site also played a role in ad-
dressing community concerns.
Their efforts led to community
support for Superfund activities at
Powersville (see Community
Relations on page 5).
Page 4
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Superfund At Work
Powersville Dump, Peach County, GA
Capping the Site
A protective cover over the site
prevents the spread of contaminants
EPA Negotiates at Powersville
One of the objectives of the
Superfund program is to obtain
private party commitments to
clean up hazardous waste sites.
During preliminary investiga-
tions, EPA identified some of the
EPA undertook
investigations
at the Powersville site
parties who were responsible for
hazardous wastes at the
Powersville site. One was Peach
County; another was Canadyne
Georgia, which owns Woolf oik
Chemicals.
EPA began negotiations with
them to perform studies at the site
and to develop cleanup options.
However, these negotiations
ended unsuccessfully, so EPA
undertook the site investigations.
The Cleanup Plan
Following these studies in
September 1987, EPA chose a
cleanup approach which included:
• A multi-layer synthetic "cap"
to cover the site and to prevent
rain water from spreading
contaminants;
• A channel to keep rain water
off the cover and away from
the hazardous wastes;
• On-site monitoring wells to
allow scientists to track the
nature and movement of
contaminants; and
• Extension of municipal water
lines to serve area residents
with affected wells, even
though contamination was
within acceptable drinking
water standards.
EPA then successfully negoti-
ated with the responsible parties
to perform the design and con-
struction of cleanup activities.
Under EPA supervision, they
began designing the protective
cover in December 1988, and
completed it in January 1991.
Spring 1993
Community
Relations At
Powersville
• A Constant Vigil -
The site manager oversee-
ing construction activities
became an active member
of the community. He
interacted with citizens on
a daily basis.
• The Observation Deck -
The parties responsible for
conducting the cleanup
built a tower from which
the public could observe
site activities.
* Discussion of Plans -
In August 1987, EPA held
a public meeting to discuss
the proposed comprehen-
sive cleanup plan for the
site. This allowed EPA to
respond directly to resi-
dents' questions.
* Community Relations
Activities -
A strategy was worked out
with the public to allow
easy interaction with EPA
to obtain information and
get frequent updates
• Progress Meetings -
In August 1991, Superfund
staff held an open house to
address any questions the
community had about
ongoing cleanup activities.
* Face-to-Face Discussions -
Superfund staff personally
visited residents through-
out the cleanup, recogniz-
ing the importance of their
problems and concerns,
and incorporating their
suggestions in the cleanup
plan.
Pages
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Superfund At Work
Powersville Dump, Peach County, GA
Spring 1993
Cleanup Nears Completion
The Protective Soil Cover
Following completion of the
protective cover, extra monitoring
wells were installed in 1992.
Samples are now taken quar-
terly to test the ground water. The
site's future uses will be limited to
ensure that the cover's integrity is
not compromised. The site will be
monitored for 30 years to verify
that no future problems arise.
The Superfund program may enlist
the help of the State of Georgia to
oversee these activities.
The Water Supply
The parties conducting the
cleanup started installing new
water lines in 1992. Water line
extensions were completed in
March 1993.
The new lines extend from
the municipal water system of
the town of Byron nearby. All
affected residences had an oppor-
tunity to be connected free of
charge prior to March 1993.
For additional copies of this or other Superfund At Work updates, contact the
National Technical Information Service, U S. Department of Commerce,
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650.
If you wish to be added to or deleted from our mailing list
or to comment on this bulletin's content, length or format, please call (703) 603-8984
or send a letter to Superfund At Work (5502G), 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460.
Success at
Powersville
Dump
Cleanup actions at the
site have been completed.
EPA's efforts resulted in
successful cooperation with
the responsible parties and
the community to address
the hazardous waste prob-
lem at the site.
EPA is working with the
community to address
remaining concerns regard-
ing the site, while simulta-
neously eliminating health
threats, and preventing
further contamination.
vvEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
5502G
Washington, D.C. 20460
Official Business
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