Ehprata Landfill

SITE BACKGROUND

December 2006

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the two potentially liable persons (PLPs), Grant County and the City of Ephrata, have negotiated an Agreed Order (AO) for the Ephrata Landfill. The AO includes an Interim Remedial Action Plan and requires the PLPs to complete a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study to guide further cleanup. Please refer to the links below for more information.

The City of Ephrata began operating the Ephrata Landfill in about 1942 and owned and managed it until 1974. Grant County has managed the landfill from 1974 until the present. The landfill ran as an open dump before 1962. It operated continuously as an unlined cell until a new lined cell opened in 2005.

Landfill personnel buried about 2000 drums of industrial waste in August 1975. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the landfill to the list of potential hazardous sites in 1979. Ecology completed a Phase I site investigation in 1987 and groundwater sampling at the site began in 1988.

A 1990 assessment report noted anomalous contaminant concentrations in groundwater in the uppermost aquifer. Contaminants in the upper three aquifers include metals, solvents, and other chemicals. Some of the contaminants detected in groundwater at the site are the same chemicals believed to be in the drums. Continuing weakening of the drums may be releasing chemicals into the soil and groundwater.

After discussions with Ecology in 2000, the county completed Phase I of a voluntary cleanup which included installing two pilot extraction wells. Ecology issued Final Determinations of Potentially Liable Person (PLP) status to the City of Ephrata and Grant County on January 10, 2005. Negotiations for an Agreed Order (AO) began in October 2005 and the PLPs signed the draft agreement in December 2006.  The Agreed Order was signed by Ecology on January 30, 2007.  The public comment period did not result in any changes to the document

Ecology cleanup site manager: Cole Carter, 509/329-3609

Supporting Documents:

News Releases:

• February 1, 2007
• December 27, 2006

Fact Sheets:

• English
• Русски
• Español

Agreed Order No. DE 3810

• Exhibit A: Landfill Diagram and Legal Description
• Exhibit B: Remedial Investigation Work Plan
  • Figure 1 - Site Location
  • Figure 2 - Site Plan
  • Figure 3 - Cross Section A-A'
  • Figure 4 - Extent Roza Aquifer and Groundwater Flow Directions
• Exhibit C: Interim Remedial Action Work Plan
• Exhibit D: Schedule
• Exhibit E: Required Permits and Applicable Substantive Provisions
• Public Participation Plan
• Appendix A - Site Map
• Appendix B - Model Toxics Control Act Chapter 70.105D RCW
• Appendix C - Mailing List
• Appendix D - Glossary of Terms
• Remedial Investigation Supporting Documents and Results
• QAPP - Exploration
• QAPP and SAP - Tasks 3, 4, and 5
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• QAPP and SAP - Task 6
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Health and Safety Plan - Task 4
• Drum Samples - Lab Report
• Drum Samples - Detection Summary

Responsiveness Summary for Agreed Order

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5