Return to Use Initiative
2007 Demonstration Project
Red Oak City Landfi
Red Oak, Iowa
THE SITE: The Red Oak City Landfill site is an inactive municipal landfill
located in an old limestone quarry in Red Oak, Iowa. The site comprises 40 acres.
20 of which were used for waste disposal. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and heavy metals from landfilling practices contaminated soil, sediment, surface
water, and ground water. The landfill was closed in 1974, and EPA added the site
to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The remedy for the Red Oak Landfill
site included capping of contaminated soils and wastes on site, construction of
diversion and drainage structures, and contouring and revegetation of the bank of
the adjacent East Nishnabotna River. Access controls, in the form offences and
signs, were installed, and institutional controls were placed on the site. Ground
water monitoring was instituted and is on-going. The site was deleted from the
NPL in 2005.
Barriers:
Maintaining communication between
the local AMA club, the City of Red
Oak, and EPA to ensure reuse does not
affect the remedy
Solution:
Possible cooperative agreement
between the City and a model
aeronautics club to enable reuse
THE OPPORTUNITY: The City of Red Oak owns the property. A local Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) club has
expressed interest in using the site as a flying field for model airplane enthusiasts.
THE BARRIERS: Concerns about the effect that the club's use of the site may have on the integrity of the cap, the
site's ongoing maintenance, and the limitation of site access in accordance with institutional controls will all need to be
addressed to ensure that the remedy remains protective. Establishing and maintaining clear lines of communication between
the interested AMA club, the City of Red Oak, and EPA will be key to ensuring that reuse of the site does not impede the
remedy.
THE SOLUTION: EPA continues to work with the City of Red Oak, the AMA
club and other relevant stakeholders to determine which portions of the site are
suitable for use. A cooperative agreement between the City and interested land
users would make it possible for portions of the site to be reused while providing
a responsible site stewards for the community. In addition to AMA use, EPA is
collaborating with the City to explore other possible reuse scenarios that are
deemed suitable for the site.
THE SITE NOW: The landfill surface is in good condition. Institutional
controls and fencing are in place to limit access and inappropriate future uses of
the site. EPA engaged in a reuse planning process for the site in 2007 and 2008.
Community experts and relevant stakeholders participated and determined
several viable reuse options for the site, including an AMA flying field, shooting
range and habitat restoration. Stakeholders established a concept plan, and the City is considering the site's reuse options.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Shelley Brodie, Remedial Project Manager, at (913) 551-7706 or
brodie.stacey(giepa.gov: or Tonya Howell, Region 7 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at (913) 551-7589 or
ho well .tonva@epa. gov.
Before:
Underutilized, capped landfill
After:
Portions of the site could serve as a
model airplane flying field, shooting
range and habitat restoration area.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated January 2009
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