Chemical Manufacturer & Municipal Landfill
The City of Nitro formerly operated a sanitation landfill at Main and Lock Streets in Nitro, West Virginia from 1965 through 1974. Various types of municipal solid wastes (MSW) including household trash and items such as discarded appliances were disposed in the Nitro Sanitation Landfill. Additionally, KEMRON’s client (a chemical manufacturer) disposed of non-municipal solid wastes (non-MSW) from their Nitro plant at the Nitro Sanitation Landfill during the period of operation under a permit issued by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR). In approximately 1979, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region III initiated a Potential Hazardous Waste Site Identification and Preliminary Assessment at the site. Various investigation and removal actions have been performed at the site since 1979. The City of Nitro intends to develop the former Nitro Sanitation Landfill property as a public boat launching facility. The City of Nitro and the client have jointly entered the site into the West Virginia Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act (VRP) program in April 2002. The City of Nitro and the client executed and signed a Voluntary Remediation Agreement in August 2002. KEMRON was retained to manage the VRP project.
KEMRON provided oversight of Site Assessment field activities conducted at the Nitro Sanitation Landfill during September and October 2002 (Phase I) and September and October 2003 (Phase II). Phase I site assessment activities completed during September and October 2002 included the replacement of three groundwater monitoring wells (B-1, B-3, and B-4) followed by proper abandonment of two damaged groundwater monitoring wells (B-3 and B-4). The remaining groundwater monitoring well (B-1) could not be located and was replaced. Groundwater sample collection from monitoring wells B-1R, B-2, B-3R and B-4R, seep/waste sampling and culvert standpipe sampling were conducted following groundwater monitoring well replacement and abandonment activities. Additionally, a geophysical survey of the perimeter area of the Nitro Sanitation Landfill was conducted by NAEVA Geophysics Inc. (NAEVA) of Baltimore, Maryland as part of site investigation activities to evaluate the boundaries of the landfill.
Phase II site assessment activities conducted at the Nitro Sanitation Landfill during September and October 2003 included the advancement of 31 soil borings utilizing Geoprobe® direct-push technology both within the fenced perimeter of the landfill and selected areas outside the fenced perimeter that were previously designated for potential off-site waste removal activities. Four soil borings were advanced utilizing a conventional hollow-stem auger rig to provide additional data regarding the stability of buried materials along the center portion of the former landfill. An additional geophysical survey was conducted by NAEVA along the alley that extends to the south of the former Smith Street entrance to the landfill. This alley is believed to have served as the road leading to the former Smith Street entrance to the landfill. Two additional groundwater monitoring wells were installed within the landfill’s fenced perimeter and one additional groundwater monitoring well was installed within the alley. Monitoring well placement was selected based upon field notes and field observations. Sediment samples were collected from the east bank of the Kanawha River along five transects with four sample locations on each transect.
Off-Site Waste Removal activities were conducted in mid-2004 to move the off-site waste materials from three adjacent residential properties to an area within the landfill property boundary. Waste materials located on these three residential properties were excavated and placed within the landfill boundary, where they were compacted and then covered with a compacted layer of clean fill material. KEMRON is currently assisting the client in obtaining Certificates of Completion for these three residential properties under the VRP program. Waste materials were not removed from two other adjacent residential properties, as these two individual properties were purchased by the client, who subsequently transferred ownership of these two residential properties to the City of Nitro.