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Army Creek Landfill Case Study
| Office
of Emergency and Remedial Response (5201G) |
EPA 540-F-99-021 OSWER 9365.0-16FS PB2000-963301 |
December 1999 |
Army Creek Landfill |
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BEFORE
A wildlife enhancement area and wetlands IMPACT |
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Not long ago, Army Creek Landfill in New Castle County, Delaware, was filled to capacity with tons of municipal refuse that contaminated nearby Army Creek and local water supply wells. Thanks to the cooperation among EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local natural resource trustees, and the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, the old Army Creek Landfill was transformed from a hazardous waste dump into a vibrant wildlife enhancement area. Where there were once piles of garbage, there are now fields planted with custom vegetation and specially designed wetlands which provide migratory birds, small animals, and plants a place in which to live, breed, and grow. What follows is the story of how EPA worked with others to return this hazardous waste site to productive use and the economic impacts and the social and environmental benefits that resulted. |
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Site SnapshotThe Army Creek Landfill is a forty-seven acre abandoned sand and gravel quarry two miles southwest of New Castle, Delaware. From 1960 to 1968, New Castle County owned and operated the site as a landfill and accepted two million cubic yards of municipal and industrial waste. During the rainy season, the groundwater level would rise and saturate nearly thirty percent of the buried waste. The site is bordered by Army Creek, which feeds into the Delaware River. More than 5,000 homes are within two miles of the site, the nearest is less than a mile away. These households rely primarily on groundwater for drinking and other residential uses. A well field owned by the Artesian Water Company is one mile south of the site, and is a major supplier of public water for the area. |
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From Waste...In 1971, contamination was discovered in a residential well down-gradient from the site. The county investigated the contamination and determined that the landfill was the likely source and that it could be contaminating the groundwater throughout the area. The county took several actions in response. To minimize the immediate threat, it installed a system to prevent the movement of contaminated groundwater toward the public water supply wells to the south. The county also began a multi-year field investigation to assess the nature and extent of the groundwater problem. The investigation revealed that the Army Creek Landfill and the adjacent Delaware Sand and Gravel site (which later became a Superfund site) were the sources of the groundwater contamination. In September 1983, EPA placed the Army Creek Landfill on its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. The Agency determined that construction of a multi-layer protective cover over the site and a groundwater treatment system would provide the greatest protection of human health and the environment. EPA entered into an agreement with those who were responsible for the contamination to share in the cost and implementation of the cleanup. During the construction of the protective cover, over a hundred buried drums containing chemical wastes were discovered, re-packed, and transported to a licensed disposal facility. The groundwater treatment system was designed to capture and clean the groundwater of contamination emanating from the two adjacent Superfund sites. To date, the system has cleaned one and a half billion gallons of contaminated groundwater. |
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Before
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...To WildlifeAs EPA began building
the protective cap over the landfill, the Agency noted the potential of
returning the site to productive use. After discussing options with the
local natural resource trustees, EPA decided to convert the site into a
greatly needed habitat for birds and wildlife. After consulting with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife,
EPA incorporated this plan for future use into the design of the cap. Grains,
wild flowers, and other indigenous vegetation were planted to encourage
migratory birds to feed on the land. EPA installed bird boxes along the
riparian wetlands of Army Creek to encourage nesting and planted gooseberry
around the gas vents of the landfill to provide visual cover as well as
a food source. EPA ensures the integrity of the protective cap by removing
deep-rooting, woody plants from the area and humanely trapping and relocating
woodchucks that could burrow into the cap. To support the ecological reuse
of the site, the grass is mowed at certain times of the year, and in particular
patterns to provide food and shelter for birds and terrestrial animals.
To address flood problems in low-lying areas, EPA modified the slope and
location of discharge pipes from the treatment system's sediment basins
to create wetlands. The wetlands prevent erosion and surface water runoff,
and provide a habitat for many species of plants, animals, and birds. |
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After
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Community BenefitsThe cleanup protects the health of area residents and has eliminated threats to the plant and wildlife at and around the site. By creating a wildlife enhancement area, EPA and their partners are providing a safe habitat for fish, animals, birds, and plants. The new wetlands help to prevent flooding, erosion, and surface water runoff in the area. The site gives scientists a place to observe the settling, feeding, and breeding patterns of migratory birds in an uninterrupted and natural habitat. |
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Keys to SuccessThe key to the success of the cleanup and redevelopment was the partnership that EPA forged with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, the local natural resource trustees, and the local community. These community groups made contributions that were vital in determining whether and how the site could be transformed into a wildlife enhancement area. EPA worked closely with these partners to ensure that the ecological components of the cleanup and reuse plans were appropriate and were designed and implemented correctly. This partnership was instrumental in developing the methods for maintaining the wildlife area to ensure its long-term effectiveness. The reuse of the landfill was achieved at no additional cost to the Agency and without significantly increasing the level of operation and maintenance. |
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Want to Know More?The Army Creek Landfill Technical Appendix provides
detailed information on the economic impacts associated with this site,
including the specific calculations used, sources of information, and
possible limitations of the calculations. To obtain copies of the Technical
Appendix for this fact sheet, or to learn more about the economic analyses
performed for this site or other Superfund sites, write to reuse.info@epa.gov
or contact: |
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