Alkali Lake Chemical Waste Dump
Encyclopedia
Alkali Lake Chemical Waste Dump is a hazardous waste
disposal site near the southwest edge of Alkali Lake
, a seasonally dry playa
in Lake County, Oregon
. It is in the Summer Lake
watershed. The site has been the focus of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) efforts to remediate a complex mix of toxic chemicals. Problems were initially caused by the dumping of hazardous waste near the lakebed between 1969 and 1971.
company, stored roughly 25,000 55-gallon drums of chemical waste near the shore of the playa with a permit from the Oregon Department of Agriculture
. The drums contained 2,4-D, dioxins
, phenyls, components of Agent Orange
herbicide, titanium tetrachloride
, and other highly corrosive, acidic chemical wastes. Chemical Waste Storage was contracted for waste disposal by the Chipman division of Rhodia, a Portland
herbicide
manufacturer, and by Oregon Metallurgical Corporation, a titanium
producer. Further shipments were prohibited in 1971, due to improper waste handling practices. The State of Oregon took over the site in 1974, after losing legal actions against Chemical Waste Storage to force their compliance with new hazardous waste laws. First the Circuit Court and then the Court of Appeals
determined that the company was financially unable to comply with the new regulations and that the State was to some extent complicit. In 1976, at a cost of $84,000, the state used bulldozers to push, crush and compact the leaking barrels into a dozen shallow, unlined, 400' long trenches, then covered them with soil.
This trench method was the least expensive option presented to the DEQ, and was chosen against scientific advisors' advice and protest. The United States Environmental Protection Agency
's regional administrator over the area also opposed the trench remediation. The state released Chemical Waste Storage's owners from any liability in 1976.
According to the DEQ's 2007 factsheet, water testing results had revealed a subsurface plume
extending about 2000' to the north-northwest of the dumpsite and covering at least 50 acres (20.2 ha) has contaminated the shallow groundwater
aquifer
at the site, but according to the DEQ, it has not expanded since their assessment of the area began in 1991. The area is polluted with dioxins
: the soil contains up to 100 parts per trillion, and nearby groundwater is about 0.4 parts per trillion. A 3.9 miles (6.3 km) fence was installed to prevent grazing cattle
from entering the area. The endangered Hutton Springs tui chub are only known to live at Hutton Spring, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
, "The DEQ has determined that the contaminated plume is spreading from east to west, away from Hutton Spring and thus does not currently constitute a threat to the water quality in Hutton Spring". The threatened Western Snowy Plover have also been observed at the lake, feeding on brine shrimp
. A low-temperature methanogen
extremophile
, Methanohalophilus oregonense
, was found at the dump site in 1989 by David Boone, an Oregon Graduate Institute scientist.
The dumpsite is currently surrounded by barbed wire
and owned by Bayer CropScience, the successor to Rhodia. The trenches were recovered with a soil cap in 1993. The dumpsite is 10.3 acres (4.2 ha) and contains 50 monitoring wells. There are an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million gallons of toxic waste at the site, and is called one of Oregon's worst toxic-waste dumps by the project manager at the DEQ. Oregon has paid over $2 million for monitoring and to acquire land surrounding the dump. While the state of Oregon allocated a special fund for abandoned waste sites in 1991, it specifically does not cover the Alkali Lake site, which comes from the regular budget for DEQ.
Hazardous waste
A hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. According to the U.S. environmental laws hazardous wastes fall into two major categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known...
disposal site near the southwest edge of Alkali Lake
Alkali Lake (Oregon)
Alkali Lake is a playa in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is in the Alkali Subbasin of the Summer Lake Basin watershed in southeastern Oregon, located 26 miles east of Christmas Valley, Oregon, northeast of Lake Abert, to the immediate west of Abert Rim and Highway 395.Alkali Lake is...
, a seasonally dry playa
Dry lake
Dry lakes are ephemeral lakebeds, or a remnant of an endorheic lake. Such flats consist of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali salts. Dry lakes are also referred to as alkali flats, sabkhas, playas or mud flats...
in Lake County, Oregon
Lake County, Oregon
Lake County is a county in the high desert south central region of the U.S. state of Oregon, so named for the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Hart Lake Reservoir, and Goose Lake. While Lake is among Oregon's largest counties, it is sparsely populated with 7,895...
. It is in the Summer Lake
Summer Lake (Oregon)
Summer Lake is a large, shallow, alkali lake in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is approximately long and wide, and is located five miles south of the small, unincorporated community of Summer Lake, Oregon. The lake was named by explorer John C. Fremont on his expedition into Central...
watershed. The site has been the focus of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. The agency employs approximately 700 scientists,...
(DEQ) efforts to remediate a complex mix of toxic chemicals. Problems were initially caused by the dumping of hazardous waste near the lakebed between 1969 and 1971.
Description
Beginning in February 1969, Chemical Waste Storage and Disposition, a BeavertonBeaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
company, stored roughly 25,000 55-gallon drums of chemical waste near the shore of the playa with a permit from the Oregon Department of Agriculture
Oregon Department of Agriculture
The Oregon Department of Agriculture is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for promoting and regulating food production and safety. It is headed by the Director of Agriculture, appointed by the Governor of Oregon subject to senate confirmation, advised by a board...
. The drums contained 2,4-D, dioxins
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds are by-products of various industrial processes, and are commonly regarded as highly toxic compounds that are environmental pollutants and persistent organic pollutants . They include:...
, phenyls, components of Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
herbicide, titanium tetrachloride
Titanium tetrachloride
Titanium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula TiCl4. It is an important intermediate in the production of titanium metal and the pigment titanium dioxide. TiCl4 is an unusual example of a metal halide that is highly volatile...
, and other highly corrosive, acidic chemical wastes. Chemical Waste Storage was contracted for waste disposal by the Chipman division of Rhodia, a Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
manufacturer, and by Oregon Metallurgical Corporation, a titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
producer. Further shipments were prohibited in 1971, due to improper waste handling practices. The State of Oregon took over the site in 1974, after losing legal actions against Chemical Waste Storage to force their compliance with new hazardous waste laws. First the Circuit Court and then the Court of Appeals
Oregon Court of Appeals
The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has ten judges and is located in Salem...
determined that the company was financially unable to comply with the new regulations and that the State was to some extent complicit. In 1976, at a cost of $84,000, the state used bulldozers to push, crush and compact the leaking barrels into a dozen shallow, unlined, 400' long trenches, then covered them with soil.
This trench method was the least expensive option presented to the DEQ, and was chosen against scientific advisors' advice and protest. The United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's regional administrator over the area also opposed the trench remediation. The state released Chemical Waste Storage's owners from any liability in 1976.
According to the DEQ's 2007 factsheet, water testing results had revealed a subsurface plume
Plume (hydrodynamics)
In hydrodynamics, a plume is a column of one fluid or gas moving through another. Several effects control the motion of the fluid, including momentum, diffusion, and buoyancy...
extending about 2000' to the north-northwest of the dumpsite and covering at least 50 acres (20.2 ha) has contaminated the shallow groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
at the site, but according to the DEQ, it has not expanded since their assessment of the area began in 1991. The area is polluted with dioxins
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds are by-products of various industrial processes, and are commonly regarded as highly toxic compounds that are environmental pollutants and persistent organic pollutants . They include:...
: the soil contains up to 100 parts per trillion, and nearby groundwater is about 0.4 parts per trillion. A 3.9 miles (6.3 km) fence was installed to prevent grazing cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
from entering the area. The endangered Hutton Springs tui chub are only known to live at Hutton Spring, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
, "The DEQ has determined that the contaminated plume is spreading from east to west, away from Hutton Spring and thus does not currently constitute a threat to the water quality in Hutton Spring". The threatened Western Snowy Plover have also been observed at the lake, feeding on brine shrimp
Brine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans known as brine shrimp. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, has changed little externally since the Triassic period...
. A low-temperature methanogen
Methanogen
Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic byproduct in anoxic conditions. They are classified as archaea, a group quite distinct from bacteria...
extremophile
Extremophile
An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. In contrast, organisms that live in more moderate environments may be termed mesophiles or neutrophiles...
, Methanohalophilus oregonense
Methanohalophilus
In taxonomy, Methanohalophilus is a genus of the Methanosarcinaceae.-External links:...
, was found at the dump site in 1989 by David Boone, an Oregon Graduate Institute scientist.
The dumpsite is currently surrounded by barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
and owned by Bayer CropScience, the successor to Rhodia. The trenches were recovered with a soil cap in 1993. The dumpsite is 10.3 acres (4.2 ha) and contains 50 monitoring wells. There are an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million gallons of toxic waste at the site, and is called one of Oregon's worst toxic-waste dumps by the project manager at the DEQ. Oregon has paid over $2 million for monitoring and to acquire land surrounding the dump. While the state of Oregon allocated a special fund for abandoned waste sites in 1991, it specifically does not cover the Alkali Lake site, which comes from the regular budget for DEQ.
External links
- Alkali Lake at Oregon Department of Environmental QualityOregon Department of Environmental QualityThe Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. The agency employs approximately 700 scientists,...
- Photo database at Oregon Department of Environmental QualityOregon Department of Environmental QualityThe Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. The agency employs approximately 700 scientists,...
- Facility Detail Report at the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
- Location: 42°58′3.36"N 120°2′48.84"W