![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
NPL Site Narrative for Dixie Caverns County Landfill
DIXIE CAVERNS COUNTY LANDFILL
Salem, Virginia
Federal Register Notice: October 04, 1989
Conditions at proposal (January 22, 1987): Dixie Caverns County Landfill covers 27 acres in Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia. Roanoke County operated the landfill from 1955 to 1976, accepting municipal refuse, industrial sludge, nonhalogenated solvents, and other wastes.
In 1983, EPA observed uncontrolled leachate from the site entering local streams. In subsequent site investigations, EPA identified an uncontrolled pile of emission control dust from an electric steel furnace. The pile consists of an estimated 1,700 cubic yards of dust. The dust, which is migrating via surface drainage, contains high levels of lead and cadmium, according to EPA. Also on-site are numerous drums and a sludge pit.
Conditions at the site threaten ground water and surface water. An estimated 2,100 people draw drinking water from private wells within 3 miles of the site. Dixie Caverns, a tourist attraction, is located 1 mile downstream of the site.
Status (October 4, 1989): Using CERCLA emergency funds, EPA is cleaning up the drum disposal area and the sludge pit. The removal is nearing completion. Cleanup of the dust pile started in August 1989.
EPA's preliminary plan for fiscal year 1990 includes a remedial investigation/feasibility study to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.