• Home
• About ATSDR
• Press Room
• A-Z Index
• Glossary
• Employment
• Contact Us
• CDC

ATSDR en Español

Search:

Skip directly to: content | left navigation | search

---

Find a Publication

1. ATSDR > Public Health Assessments & Consultations

PETITIONED HEALTH ASSESSMENT

OLD DOUGLAS COUNTY LANDFILL
(a/k/a: DOUGLAS COUNTY/CEDAR MOUNTAIN LANDFILL)
DOUGLASVILLE, DOUGLAS COUNTY, GEORGIA

CONCLUSIONS

1. The on-site methane levels detected near the air strip do not pose a public health threat in the past and present based on the methane concentrations measured.
2. The private well water impact from the Old Douglas County Landfill is not a public health threat based on the current quality of private well water in the vicinity the landfill.
3. The surface water at the Old Douglas County Landfill is not a public health threat in the past based on the sampling results from Gothard's Creek on- and off-site and the settling ponds on-site.
4. The sediment at the Old Douglas County Landfill is not a public health threat in the past based on the sampling results from the settling ponds and the infrequency of human contact.
5. The subsurface soil on- and off-site and the surface soil off-site at the Old Douglas County Landfill is not a public health threat in the past based on the sampling results and the infrequency of human contact.

ATSDR uses one of five conclusion categories to summarize our findings of the site. These categories are: 1) Urgent Public Health Hazard, 2) Public Health Hazard, 3) Indeterminate Health Hazard, 4) No Apparent Public Health Hazard, and 5) No Public Health Hazard. A category is selected from site specific conditions such as the degree of public health hazard based on the presence and duration of human exposure, contaminant concentration, the nature of toxic effects associated with site related contaminants, presence of physical hazards, and community health concerns. Based these criteria, ATSDR catagorized the Old Douglas County Landfill as a "No Apparent Public Health Hazard" in the past and present based on low levels of contaminants found at the site and the infrequency of human contact with sediments and soil.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based upon the conclusions and information reviewed, ATSDR makes the following recommendations:

1. Monitor methane along the landfill perimeter specifically in areas adjacent to residential dwellings to detect potential soil gas (methane) migration.
2. Implement a groundwater monitoring program at the landfill perimeter with an annual sampling regime to determine if site related contaminants are migrating further off-site. Private wells may be impacted in the future.
3. Georgia Department of Natural Resources should continue monitoring private well water within a half mile from the landfill bi-annually.
4. Post warning signs around on-site settling ponds acknowledging the potential of contacting hazardous chemicals in the sediment.
5. If future use of the Old Douglas County Landfill changes, this site should be reevaluated for public health implications and appropriate actions should be taken to prevent or eliminate human exposure to those contaminants.

The actions described in this section are designed to ensure that this public health consultation identifies public health hazards and provides a plan of action to mitigate and prevent adverse health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

Actions Completed:

1. As part of a preliminary assessment of the Old Douglas County Landfill, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Environmental Protection Agency conducted two environmental assessments of the landfill. These assessments entailed analyzing chemical concentrations in on- and off-site surface water, groundwater, sediment, and soil.

2. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division analyzes private well water of residents living within 0.5 miles of the Old Douglas County Landfill, free of charge, as a courtesy to the public. To date, no chemicals have been detected in the private wells that are of health concern or related to the landfill.

3. ATSDR has evaluated environmental data pertaining to the Old Douglas County Landfill as a basis for this Public Health Assessment.

Actions Ongoing:

1. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners currently has 25 acres of land at the southern boundary of the Old Douglas County Landfill under a purchasing contract. This land is to be used as a buffer zone and to prevent development in the immediate vicinity down gradient of the landfill.

Actions Planned:

1. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division will continue analyzing private well water of residents living within 0.5 miles of the Old Douglas County Landfill free of charge upon request from community residents.

Review and Approval of Health Consultation for the Old Douglas County Landfill Site

Concurrence:

Kimberly Chapman
Environmental Health Scientist, PRS, EICB, DHAC

Susan M. Moore
Senior Environmental Health Scientist, PRS, EICB, DHAC

Donald Joe
Section Chief, PRS, EICB, DHAC

John E. Abraham
Branch Chief, EICB, DHAC

REFERENCES CITED

1. Letter from Petitioner to John Steward, ATSDR. May 23, 1991.

2. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division. 1977- 1979. Disposal Evaluation Report for Cedar Mountain Road Landfill File.

3. Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Hazardous Waste Management Branch. 1993. Preliminary Assessment: Old Douglas County Landfill. Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

4. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. August 19, 1998. Communication with Christy Easter of Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Solid Waste Management Program, Atlanta, GA 30354 and Kimberly K. Chapman of ATSDR.

5. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. August 6, 1998. Communication between the petitioner and Kimberly K. Chapman of ATSDR regarding alleged illnesses.

6. Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Solid Waste Management Program: Bar Punch Method. 1998. Methane Gas Monitoring Program. Atlanta, GA 30354.

7. W.L. Jorden & Co., Inc. October 21, 1995. Periodic Methane Monitoring Report for Cedar Mountain Landfill. Job No. 95-1070.5. Atlanta, GA 30329.

8. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. August 24, 1998. Communication between Randall Norton, Technician, of Cedar Mountain Road Landfill and Kimberly K. Chapman of ATSDR regarding final soil depth.

9. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. August 19, 1994. Final Site Inspection: Old Douglas County Landfill, Douglasville, Douglas County, GA. EPA ID Number: GAD984279232.

10. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. October 2, 1998. Communication between Eve Kuniansky of the United States Geologic Survey and Kimberly K. Chapman of ATSDR regarding groundwater recharge in Douglas County.

11. Cressler, C.W., C.J. Thurmond, and W.G. Hester. 1983. Ground Water in the Greater Atlanta Region, Georgia. Information Circular 63. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division.

12. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Land Protection Branch. 1998. Laboratory Reports: LPB Sample Identification Numbers: HW3630, HW3629, AC06189, AB43949, AB07817, AB98738, AC06190. Atlanta, GA 30318-7900.

13. Analytical Services, Incorporated. 1998. Environmental Monitoring and Laboratory Analysis: Laboratory Report Number 92193. Norcross, GA 30092.

14. Williams, E.L. and M.F. Kellum of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division. June 29, 1993. Field notes collected on-site: Cedar Mountain Road Landfill. Atlanta, GA.

15. Madhavan, S., K.D. Roseman, and T. Shehata. 1989. Lead in Soil: Recommended Maximum Permissible Levels. Environ. Research. 49:136-142.

16. ATSDR. 1997. Toxicological Profile for Manganese. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

17. de Vires, J. 1996. Food Safety and Toxicology: Table 12.1. CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL 33431.

Next Section          Table of Contents

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 1825 Century Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30345
Contact CDC: 800-232-4636 / TTY: 888-232-6348 

Department of Health and Human Services