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Murray-Ohio Dump
National Information
Grass-covered berm on the Murray-Ohio Dump site used to collect surface water runoff.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: TND980728836Location: Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County, TN
Lat/Long: 35.227500, -87.361110
Congressional District: 04
NPL Status: Proposed: 12/30/1982; Final: 09/08/1983
Affected Media: Ground water, Soil
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete. Physical cleanup activities have been completed, ground water source control and monitoring continues
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: None Specified
Site Manager: Yvonne Jones (jones.yvonneo@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Murray-Ohio Dump site is located along Glen Springs Road in Lawrence County, Tennessee about three miles southwest of the city limits of Lawrenceburg. The site consists of two landfill areas covering 0.25 and 27 acres. The site is on the crest of a hill and is characterized by narrow ridges, valleys, and steep slopes, especially to the north of the site. Several ephemeral streams are located around the site, including the Southeast Branch, Southwest Branch, and Northeast Branch. All streams ultimately flow into Shoal Creek.
The land surrounding the Murray site is sparsely populated and land use is mostly residential, forested, and agricultural. Some interest in reuse of the site has been expressed.
From 1963 to 1982, the Murray-Ohio Manufacturing Company operated the Murray-Ohio Dump site as a landfill. Paint and electroplating sludge wastes left over from the production of lawn mowers, bicycles, toys and other metal products were buried on approximately six acres of the property. An additional 21 acres of the site were used as a sanitary landfill by the City of Lawrenceburg. Rainwater was able to penetrate through the soil to the landfill wastes, leaching heavy metals and volatile organic compounds into the ground water and soil.
Threats and contaminants
Soil and ground water at the site were contaminated by heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originating from landfill wastes. Heavy metals including chromium, hexavalent chromium, and nickel were the primary contaminants of concern.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision for the site was issued in 1994. Major components of the cleanup approach included:
- Constructing an enhanced single barrier cover system over the pre-1973 disposal area.
- Slope stabilization with improvements on the existing cover of the post-1973 disposal area.
- Constructing a durable surface cover over the 1973 disposal area.
- Constructing a single barrier cover system over the overland flow area.
- Deed restrictions and fencing around the disposal areas.
- Continued maintenance of the cover systems.
- Site monitoring.
- A contingency plan for the construction of a landfill seep collection and treatment system.
An Amendment to the Record of Decision (AROD) was issued in September 2009. This AROD focuses on the offsite surface water and sediment within a tributary of Shoal Creek (Northeast Branch) associated with the Murray-Ohio Dump Superfund Site. The major components of the selected remedy include:
- During stream restoration, plunge pools will be constructed in order to enhance oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and raise pH.
- Sediment contamination at "hot spot" locations within the Northeast Branch will bedredged, dewatered, and consolidated during stream restoration,
- Several wetlands will be constructed in order to sequester metals within the surface water and sediment,
- Naturally occurring bacteria will be grown and transplanted ex situ within the backfill material during restoration in order to alter the oxidation state of the metals within the
sediment, - Post-construction, the surface water and sediment will continue to be addressed through monitored natural recovery (MNR).
- Ground water contamination will be addressed through continued monitoring as stated in the 1994 ROD.
- Cap configuration, including re-evaluation and maintenance of the multi-layer cover system for the existing remedy presented in the 1994 ROD is also incorporated within this remedial strategy in order to ensure long term effectiveness and permanence of the ground water, surface water, and sediment.
Clean-up Progress
Construction of engineered caps and protective covers over landfill areas was completed between April 1997 and September 1998. This remedy was designed to contain the sources of ground water contamination at the site.
Institutional controls are in place prohibiting use of the site for residential purposes and of ground water from the site for any purpose.
The monitoring program and the maintenance of the landfill cap cover system (mowing and over-seeding) were later reduced as a result of Murray's bankruptcy in November 2003. Currently, EPA is conducting on-site seep, surface water, and ground water monitoring.
The second Five-Year Review for the site was completed in 2006. The review indicated the placement of the cap on the landfill has eliminated exposure to the surface soils at this site and has achieved some source control at the site. Therefore, this portion of the cleanup approach is functioning as it was intended.
In addition, the review also found that while the cap appears to have reduced contaminant concentrations in the seep discharge, discharge of contaminated ground water is still occurring. Therefore, additional evaluation was required to determine if this reduction is protective of the Northeast Branch. While the results of this evaluation indicated the remedy is still protective of the Northeast Branch, the contaminant concentrations in the seep discharge are still occurring. To determine if there is an alternative that will more effectively reduce the contaminant concentrations in the seep discharge, EPA completed a Focused Feasibility Study in July 2009 and issued an AROD in September 2009. The Remedial Design activities commenced shortly thereafter and will be completed by March 2011.
Site cleanup activities are being led primarily by EPA.
Enforcement Activities
Under a March 1990 Consent Agreement between EPA and the Murray-Ohio Manufacturing Company, Murray agreed to fund Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) activities for the site.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Murray-Ohio Dump site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices and information meetings on cleanup progress and activities.
Future Work
On-site seep, surface water, and ground water monitoring are ongoing. The Remedial Design activities will be completed by September 2011.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Lawrenceburg Public Library
519 East Gaines St.
Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.