Laurel Park Incorporated
Encyclopedia
The Laurel Park, Inc. site, also known as Hunters Mountain Dump, or Murtha's Dump to locals, is a capped landfill
that occupies approximately 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of a 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) parcel of land in Naugatuck, Connecticut
. The landfill has been in existence since the late 1940s, and several industries disposed of solvent
s, oils, hydrocarbon
s, chemical and liquid sludge, chemical solids, tires, and rubber products there. The facility continued to operate as a municipal landfill until 1987. It was owned and operated by Terrence and Howard Murtha.
The maximum depth of the landfill is about 115 feet (35.1 m). The bedrock is shallow, and leachate
was visible on all major slopes at the landfill. Leachate sampling at the base of the refuse slope confirmed the presence of toxic organic chemicals. In addition, various inorganic contaminants were measured in the unnamed tributary north of the site.
This site was first listed under the name "Laurel Park Landfill." It is the top priority site in Connecticut.
The landfill was known to have operational problems. Fires were common, the facility used fly ash
as a cover which was inadequate to prevent litter from being blown off-site. Spills on the roads leading to the landfill were common according to local residents. In addition, local residents reported seeing leachate
flowing into an unnamed creek along Andrew Avenue. Leachate is produced by rain percolating into the ground and coming into contact with contaminated waste buried in the landfill. Leachate overflow has been a problem at the site. In the late 1980s, leachate collected in the leachate system, overflowed a manhole on the Laurel Park site entering a stream that passes by several residences and a school playground. Tests of the leachate and the stream revealed the presence of hazardous substances, including benzene
, toluene
, and ethyl benzene.
In the early 1970s, the CT Department of Public Health recommended steps to eliminate the migration of contaminants into surface waters. A sand filter was installed in response to CT Department of Public Health recommendations on the western edge of the site in the mid 1970s.
In the early 1980s, monitoring of residential wells in the vicinity of Laurel Park found that some wells had contaminants believed to be site related. As a result, residences were provided with bottled water in 1983 by Laurel Park, Inc., and subsequently by the CT DEP until 1990 when the majority of the residences near the landfill were connected to the public water supply.
In 1983 the CT DEP and Laurel Park Inc., entered into a stipulated judgement which required:
The judgement also allowed the landfill to be used for disposal of municipal waste only. In 1983, a leachate collection system was constructed to convey wastes off-site into the Naugatuck municipal waste water treatment plant. However, it was not hooked up until 1989. The CT DEP did not allow the collection system to flow into the municipal sewers until an additional separate leachate line was installed in December 1989.
On October 13, 1983 the CT DEP issued a cease and desist order prohibiting the operation of the landfill based on the detection of 2,3,7,8-tetra-chloro-p-dioxin (TCDD) in an onsite monitoring well. Later sampling and analyses did not detect the presence of this contaminant. As a result the landfill was allowed to reopen and accept municipal waste.
In 1986, a preliminary health assessment was performed by ATSDR which concluded that surface runoff and leachate associated with the site posed a potential public health threat to residents near the site.
In May 1988 an Addendum to the Health Assessment was released. ATSDR reviewed a list of proposed alternatives for remediation to determine which of them were adequate for the protection of public health.
The landfill was closed in 1987.
In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the owners of the landfill to construct a sewer line connecting the leachate collection system to the Naugatuck Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant. The sewer line was installed to alleviate the serious problem of overflow of contaminated leachate from a manhole on the Laurel Park site. This sewer line discharges into the Naugatuck municipal sewage treatment plant.
, Butane
, Chloroform
, Ethylbenzene
, Methane
, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Pentane
, and Toluene
. Many of these chemicals are highly toxic carcinogens which are known to cause cancer. No air testing has been conducted. Now that the landfill cap and leachate collection have been completed, there are no threats of contamination due to surface contact.
As of September 2008 in the site's latest Five-Year-Review Report, the US EPA raised concerns that the current leachate system is not catching all contaminates, and that contaminants may be migrating off site either into the Unnamed brook that runs behind Andrew Avenue School, or into the bedrock and discharging into groundwater. Groundwater flows northwest and south from the site. The main cause for concern would be residences on Hunters Mountain that are not hooked up to the public water line.
Another cause for concern noted by the US EPA is a 200-home development proposed by Primrose Companies of Bridgeport, CT adjacent to Hunters Mountain Road and Andrew Mountain Road. The proposed southern portion of the development abuts the landfill perimeter, and Laurel Park, Inc. has proposed that houses close to the landfill must use passive foundation ventilation systems to mitigate residents from coming in contact with contaminants or gas from the landfill.
priority status in 1983 after an initial investigation by the CT DEP found that dioxin was in the soil.
A leachate system was built in 1987, but not hooked up to the municipal water system until 1989, causing leachate to overflow into a stream into the brook behind Andrew Avenue Elementary School.
In 1997 the landfill was finally capped, and in 1998 the leachate system upgraded.
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
that occupies approximately 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of a 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) parcel of land in Naugatuck, Connecticut
Naugatuck, Connecticut
Naugatuck is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town spans both sides of the Naugatuck River just south of Waterbury, and includes the communities of Union City on the east side of the river, which has its own post office, Straitsville on the...
. The landfill has been in existence since the late 1940s, and several industries disposed of solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
s, oils, hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
s, chemical and liquid sludge, chemical solids, tires, and rubber products there. The facility continued to operate as a municipal landfill until 1987. It was owned and operated by Terrence and Howard Murtha.
Description
The centrally developed portion of the Town of Naugatuck, which has an estimated population of 31,000 people, is located approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) northeast of the site. Homes are located around three sides of the landfill. Approximately 50 homes are located within a 1/4-mile radius of the site, with the closest residents located approximately 1000 feet (304.8 m) from the site. The nearest homes used groundwater from private wells as a drinking water source, but have since been connected to the public water supply. The homes at the bottom of Huntington Hill, downslope of the landfill, are served by a public water supply line. Most of the area immediately bordering the site is forested.The maximum depth of the landfill is about 115 feet (35.1 m). The bedrock is shallow, and leachate
Leachate
Leachate is any liquid that, in passing through matter, extracts solutes, suspended solids or any other component of the material through which it has passed....
was visible on all major slopes at the landfill. Leachate sampling at the base of the refuse slope confirmed the presence of toxic organic chemicals. In addition, various inorganic contaminants were measured in the unnamed tributary north of the site.
This site was first listed under the name "Laurel Park Landfill." It is the top priority site in Connecticut.
Site history
The site was in operation from 1949 to 1987. In the 1960s the site was excavated in some areas to bedrock. According to a 1972 Inventory of clients serviced by the landfill conducted by the CT DEP, 107,000 tons of solid waste and 46 tons of liquid waste were disposed of per year at the Laurel Park Landfill. These include rubber products, tires, chemicals, oils, solvents, chemical solids and municipal wastes. In the late 1980s the landfill accepted approximately 200 tons per day of municipal and industrial wastes.The landfill was known to have operational problems. Fires were common, the facility used fly ash
Fly ash
Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal...
as a cover which was inadequate to prevent litter from being blown off-site. Spills on the roads leading to the landfill were common according to local residents. In addition, local residents reported seeing leachate
Leachate
Leachate is any liquid that, in passing through matter, extracts solutes, suspended solids or any other component of the material through which it has passed....
flowing into an unnamed creek along Andrew Avenue. Leachate is produced by rain percolating into the ground and coming into contact with contaminated waste buried in the landfill. Leachate overflow has been a problem at the site. In the late 1980s, leachate collected in the leachate system, overflowed a manhole on the Laurel Park site entering a stream that passes by several residences and a school playground. Tests of the leachate and the stream revealed the presence of hazardous substances, including benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...
, and ethyl benzene.
In the early 1970s, the CT Department of Public Health recommended steps to eliminate the migration of contaminants into surface waters. A sand filter was installed in response to CT Department of Public Health recommendations on the western edge of the site in the mid 1970s.
In the early 1980s, monitoring of residential wells in the vicinity of Laurel Park found that some wells had contaminants believed to be site related. As a result, residences were provided with bottled water in 1983 by Laurel Park, Inc., and subsequently by the CT DEP until 1990 when the majority of the residences near the landfill were connected to the public water supply.
In 1983 the CT DEP and Laurel Park Inc., entered into a stipulated judgement which required:
- the installation of monitoring wells
- the construction of a leachate collection system
- delivery of bottled water to affected homeowners.
The judgement also allowed the landfill to be used for disposal of municipal waste only. In 1983, a leachate collection system was constructed to convey wastes off-site into the Naugatuck municipal waste water treatment plant. However, it was not hooked up until 1989. The CT DEP did not allow the collection system to flow into the municipal sewers until an additional separate leachate line was installed in December 1989.
On October 13, 1983 the CT DEP issued a cease and desist order prohibiting the operation of the landfill based on the detection of 2,3,7,8-tetra-chloro-p-dioxin (TCDD) in an onsite monitoring well. Later sampling and analyses did not detect the presence of this contaminant. As a result the landfill was allowed to reopen and accept municipal waste.
In 1986, a preliminary health assessment was performed by ATSDR which concluded that surface runoff and leachate associated with the site posed a potential public health threat to residents near the site.
In May 1988 an Addendum to the Health Assessment was released. ATSDR reviewed a list of proposed alternatives for remediation to determine which of them were adequate for the protection of public health.
The landfill was closed in 1987.
In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the owners of the landfill to construct a sewer line connecting the leachate collection system to the Naugatuck Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant. The sewer line was installed to alleviate the serious problem of overflow of contaminated leachate from a manhole on the Laurel Park site. This sewer line discharges into the Naugatuck municipal sewage treatment plant.
Contamination at the site
Soil contaminants taken at the site include Dioxin, BenzeneBenzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, Butane
Butane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
, Chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
, Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2CH3. This aromatic hydrocarbon is important in the petrochemical industry as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which in turn is used for making polystyrene, a common plastic material....
, Methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Pentane
Pentane
Pentane is an organic compound with the formula C5H12 — that is, an alkane with five carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of three structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, pentane means exclusively the n-pentane isomer; the other two being called...
, and Toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...
. Many of these chemicals are highly toxic carcinogens which are known to cause cancer. No air testing has been conducted. Now that the landfill cap and leachate collection have been completed, there are no threats of contamination due to surface contact.
As of September 2008 in the site's latest Five-Year-Review Report, the US EPA raised concerns that the current leachate system is not catching all contaminates, and that contaminants may be migrating off site either into the Unnamed brook that runs behind Andrew Avenue School, or into the bedrock and discharging into groundwater. Groundwater flows northwest and south from the site. The main cause for concern would be residences on Hunters Mountain that are not hooked up to the public water line.
Another cause for concern noted by the US EPA is a 200-home development proposed by Primrose Companies of Bridgeport, CT adjacent to Hunters Mountain Road and Andrew Mountain Road. The proposed southern portion of the development abuts the landfill perimeter, and Laurel Park, Inc. has proposed that houses close to the landfill must use passive foundation ventilation systems to mitigate residents from coming in contact with contaminants or gas from the landfill.
Superfund status
The site was elevated to top SuperfundSuperfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
priority status in 1983 after an initial investigation by the CT DEP found that dioxin was in the soil.
Cleanup
There has been a significant amount of community concern and interest in the site since the early years of landfill operations when open burning occurred. An organized citizens group was very active in the 1980s and played a role in the final landfill closure.A leachate system was built in 1987, but not hooked up to the municipal water system until 1989, causing leachate to overflow into a stream into the brook behind Andrew Avenue Elementary School.
In 1997 the landfill was finally capped, and in 1998 the leachate system upgraded.
External links
- THE REGION; Action on Dioxin In Connecticut Accessed July 19, 2007
- TWO-YEAR BATTLE WON AT DIOXIN SITE July 19, 2007
- FIVE YEAR REVIEW - LAUREL PARK, INC. - 29 September 2008