United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5502G)
EPA520-F-93-017
Summer 1993
o EPA Superf und At Work
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Efforts Nationwide
Northside Landfill
Site Profile
Site Description:
A municipal landfill in Spokane,
Washington
Site Size: 345 acres, 150 of which
were used for landfill activities
Primary Contaminants:
Tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene
Potential Range of Health Risks:
Headaches, liver and kidney
damage with prolonged exposure
Nearby Population:
65 people in 20 residences
Ecological Concerns:
Contaminated ground water plume
migrating northwest of the site
Year Listed on NPL: 1986
EPA Region: 10
State: Washington
Congressional District: 5
Success in Brief
Collaborative Cleanup
of Northside Landfill
Cleanup of the Northside Landfill in Spokane, Washington is an
example of effective collaboration with state and local governments in
addressing a Superfund hazardous waste site. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) worked with the Washington Department of
Ecology (Ecology) and the City of Spokane to close this municipal
landfill in a timely and efficient manner. City officials recognized that
the landfill had reached capacity, local wells were contaminated, and
ground water needed thorough treatment. EPA and Ecology worked
with Spokane's Department of Solid Waste Management to:
• Provide a clean source of drinking water for residents whose
wells were contaminated; and
• Construct a state-of-the-art plastic cover to "cap" the landfill and
guard against the further spread of contaminants.
The city then designed a new approach to managing solid waste for
the entire county.
Multi-Phase Cleanup at Northside Landfill
Landscaping plan
developed for affected area
Protective, impermeable
cap keeps contaminants
from migrating
Contaminated ground water
pumped to surface for treatment
The Site Today
The City of Spokane completed
construction of the protective cap
over the landfill in May 1993. Cur-
rently a landfill gas collection sys-
tem captures and burns methane
gas, while a ground water pump
and treatment system prevents
contaminated ground water from
migrating off site. In addition, the
City of Spokane and the local com-
munity are investing $1 million to
landscape the site.
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Superfund At Work
Northside Landfill. Spokane, WA
Summer 1993
The Northside Landfill site
covers 345 acres in north-
western Spokane, Washington.
The active area of the landfill
occupied 150 acres directly
above a large aquifer, the
primary source of drinking
water for 177,000 residents of
Spokane.
The landfill opened in 1931
for the disposal of light com-
mercial and residential gar-
bage. While operating, the site
was the largest landfill in the
county, and received most of
Spokane's refuse, including
small amounts of hazardous
waste. For almost 10 years,
sludge from the municipal
sewage treatment plant, laden
A Site Snapshot
with heavy metals and organic
solvents, was disposed of in the
landfill. Rainwater drained
through the wastes and seeped
Rainwater drained
through the landfill
and seeped into
the ground water,
contaminating the
wells of nearby
residents
into ground water, contaminating
the wells of nearby residents.
Fortunately, fewer than 20 resi-
dences were affected.
Some of the residential wells
contained the solvent tetra-
chloroethylene in concentra-
tions above safety standards.
Tetrachloroethylene and trichlo-
roethylene are solvents for oils,
paints and varnishes, and are
used in dry cleaning/ metal de-
greasing, textile dyeing/ and in
various pesticides.
Other contaminants found in
testing wells included heavy
metals such as iron, manganese,
and lead. Possible health risks
from direct contact with the
chemicals include headaches,
sleepiness, and liver and kidney
damage. No such health prob-
lems have been reported by
Spokane residents.
Northside Landfill
Site Timeline
• Site listed on NPL
Extensive investigations begin
City connects affected residences to
municipal water supply
City discovers residential well contamination;
supplies bottled water
• City discovers ground water
contamination in on-site wells
Congress enacts Superfund
Site operates as municipal landfill
1
1931
1980 1981 1982 1983
1986
Page 2
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Superfund At Work
Northside Landfill, Spokane. WA
Summer 1993
City and State Assist EPA with Cleanup
Private Wells Directly Affected
During the first 30 years of
operation, commercial and resi-
dential garbage was dumped into
the landfill's natural canyons and
burned. In 1962, the city discon-
tinued open burning and began
Site inspections
revealed the soil was
contaminated with
cyanide and heavy metals
covering the refuse in the canyons
with excavated soil. This practice
continued until 1991.
During the same period, Con-
ess enacted the Superfund law
with a primary aim of cleaning
up the nation's hazardous waste
sites. Heightened awareness
brought about by the develop-
ment of the Superfund program
caused local officials to take a
closer look at this municipal dump.
In 1981, city workers sampled
the ground water beneath the
landfill and found evidence of
contamination. In 1982, additional
sampling revealed that 19 pri-
vately-owned wells adjacent to
the site were polluted. The city
quickly supplied affected resi-
dents with bottled water and by
1983 had connected them to the
public water supply.
Despite numerous problems,
the landfill continued to operate
for several years until a new
incinerator could be constructed
to handle municipal and indus-
Northside Landfill
' Spokane, Washington
trial waste. While state officials
focused on closing the landfill, the
city designed a new approach to
managing solid waste in the
future. Since landfilling was no
longer an option, converting
waste to energy using incinera-
tion made sense for the entire
region (see incineration sidebar,
page 5). When the landfill was
ready for closure, state authorities
contacted EPA's Superfund
program for assistance.
EPA selects cleanup plan
^ • EPA Citizen Participation Award presented
• Landfill perimeter gas collection system installed
• Landscaping plan designed for site
• New incinerator constructed
^ • Ground water cleanup begins
• Cap construction completed
• Landfill gas collection and flaring completed
Ground water cleanup
complete (planned)
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
2003
Page 3
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Superfund At Work
Northside Landfill, Spokane, WA
Summer 1993
In 1986, EPA placed the
Northside Landfill on the Na-
tional Priorities List (NPL), a
roster of hazardous waste sites
eligible for cleanup under the
Superfund program.
Plan Designed
to Protect Public
Later that year, under a coop-
erative agreement with EPA, the
city and Ecology agreed to inves-
tigate the nature and extent of
contamination and the risks
posed to the area. The studies,
completed under EPA oversight
in 1988, determined that the site
warranted immediate attention.
Thus, to reduce the source of
ground water contamination as
well as protect local drinking
water supplies, EPA, Ecology,
Spokane officials, and community
residents worked together to
design a cleanup plan that satis-
fied all involved.
The plan was completed in
September 1989 and involved:
• Closing and "capping" the
landfill;
• Pumping and treating contami-
nated ground water;
• Providing an alternate source
of drinking water to residents
with contaminated wells;
• Controlling potentially danger-
ous landfill gases; and
• Monitoring the ground water
for the next 30 years.
Cooperation Leads to
Well-Managed Cleanup
In January 1991, city cleanup
crews began operating a landfill
gas collection and treatment
system on the boundaries of the
site. During construction of the
cap, the system was extended to
include 20 gas collection units
throughout the landfill to capture
methane gas, produced by the
decomposition of organic mate-
rial. High-temperature flares burn
the methane and gas contami-
nants, destroying most of the
chemicals that cause odors in the
The cap prevents
rainwater from entering the
landfill and spreading
contaminants
air emissions. City workers
monitor adjacent areas to make
sure that all landfill gas is captured
and does not migrate off site.
The ground water pump and
treatment system began with pilot
tests in April 1992 and currently
treats 1,000 gallons of water a
minute. Water is sent to the
municipal sewage plant for
further treatment and disposal.
An impermeable protective cap
was completed in May 1993, six
months ahead of schedule. The
cap is installed over 150 acres of
buried waste and prevents rain-
water from entering the landfill
and spreading contaminants. In
addition, the city constructed a
15-acre supplemental area for
continued on page 5
The Spokane Recycling Trash-to-Energy Facility generated 150 million
kilowatts of electricity in its first full year of operation.
Page 4
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Superfund At Work
Northside Landfill, Spokane, WA
Summer 1993
Waste-To-
Energy:
A New Kind
of Waste
Management
The need for a completely
new approach to solid waste
management arose in Spokane
in the early 1980s when four
landfills, including Northside,
were placed on EPA's NPL. A
city-county regional partner-
ship was formed which
adopted four priorities: waste
reduction, recycling, energy
recovery and minimal residual
landfilling.
In September 1991, the city
and Spokane County com-
pleted construction of a new
incinerator which replaced the
Northside landfill and many
other small county landfills.
This waste-to-energy plant
accepts commercial and house-
hold hazardous waste and
Residents and businesses
contribute household and
hazardous waste
Recyclable items are
removed, minimizing
volume
Recycle
Refuse burned at
temperatures above
2000° F
Exhaust gases pass
through sophisticated
air pollution controls
Incineration-
generated steam
is converted to
electricity
Electricity sold
to regional
^utility company
for customer
regular garbage, burning 800
tons a day. Heat from combus-
tion converts steam into elec-
tricity, which is sold to Puget
Power, a regional utility. In
1992, the first full year of opera-
tion, the incinerator processed
293,000 tons of garbage and
produced 150 million kilowatts of
electricity.
The waste-to-energy plant is
equipped with the latest avail-
able air cleaning equipment,
including nitrogen oxide re-
moval, acid gas scrubbers, and
fabric filters which trap particu-
late matter. Performance
records indicate the plant is
performing at a higher stan-
dard than its permit requires.
City and State Assist EPA with Cleanup
continued from page 4
storage of non-combustible debris
that cannot be incinerated. As a
safety precaution, a synthetic liner
was installed to ensure contain-
ment.
The city will continue to collect
«d treat landfill gases and pump
d treat contaminated ground
"The city was
way ahead of the curve.
They did a great job."
water over the next ten years; the
site will be monitored for 30 years
to ensure the effectiveness of
cleanup activities.
In evaluating the cleanup, Neil
Thompson, the EPA site manager,
commented on the determination
and ingenuity of city officials in
meeting their obligations to dose
the landfill by remarking, "the
city was way ahead of the curve.
They did a great job."
PageS
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Superfund At Work
Northside Landfill, Spokane, WA • Summer 1993
Keeping the Public Informed
Is Key to Superfund Program
Throughout the cleanup, EPA, results prompted EPA to place
Ecology, and city officials distrib-
uted bulletins and fact sheets to
inform area residents of plans and
progress at the site. Beginning in
1989, Spokane residents were
invited to a series of public
meetings to clarify poten-
tial problems posed by
the Northside Landfill.
Citizens were asked to
comment on the proposed
cleanup plan as well.
In 1990, one of the
residents living near the
landfill was given EPA's
Citizen Participation
Award for her efforts to organize
neighbors living north of the
landfill to request additional
water quality testing. Sampling
Citizen
Participation
Award
Northside Landfill on the NPL,
and the site has been effectively
remediated. As an EPA Commu-
nity Relations Coordinator stated,
"She helped Superfund clean up
the landfill by promoting
communications among
residents and various
government agencies."
In June 1991, the city
and area residents de-
signed a plan for landscap-
ing the site following
completion of the landfill
cover. The entire site
will be seeded for grass,
and the natural vegetation of 40
acres of undisturbed woods along
the perimeter of the property will
be enhanced.
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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
Northside
Landfill
EPA, Ecology, and the
City of Spokane worked
together at the Northside
Landfill to clean up and
protect drinking water
supplies.
The City of Spokane
.took the lead in designing
innovative solutions to
regional solid waste
management.
Area residents partici-
pated in determining the
best approach to address
site contamination and
return the land to a condi-
tion suitable for future use.
The cooperation of all
parties was essential to
provide city and county
residents with clean
drinking water.
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.
EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
5502G
Washington, D.C. 20460
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