PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
REFUSE HIDEAWAY
MIDDLETON, DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
Refuse Hideaway Landfill is a former landfill located in the Town of Middleton, west of the City of Middleton, in Dane County, Wisconsin. When in operation, from 1974 to 1988, the Superfund site received a variety of municipal, commercial, and industrial wastes.
Groundwater around the site is contaminated with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which probably originate from the site. VOC contamination was first detected in 1988 at three private wells located approximately 3,000 feet southwest of the site. These wells provided water for three homes and an agricultural business. A Point-of-Entry water filtration system was installed at two of these wells in 1990 and the system removes all measurable VOC contamination. The third well provided water for a home and private business. This home was vacated in late 1989 and is currently unoccupied. An employee at the business reported, in 1992, the well is no longer used.
Refuse Hideaway Landfill currently poses no apparent public health hazard to nearby residents who obtain their drinking water from private wells. Approximately eight nearby residents and three employees of the agriculture business were evidently exposed to low-levels of VOCs in their well water. It is estimated no individual was exposed to contaminated groundwater for more than four years. Despite these exposures, adverse health effects are not expected in people who were exposed for such a length of time.
No other nearby private wells are identified as contaminated by the site. Refuse Hideaway Landfill might pose a future public health hazard to nearby residents if no actions were taken to clean-up the site. Groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells immediately around the site reveal high levels of certain VOCs. If existing on-site control measures have a negligible effect, higher levels of groundwater contamination might migrate away from the site and reach currently uncontaminated wells.
Refuse Hideaway Landfill is an indeterminate public health hazard to workers at an adjacent
sand and gravel business. In 1990 explosive levels of gas were detected twice in a building at
the business and the corrective action was taken to eliminated this potential physical hazard.
The gas in the building is suspected to have come from the site, yet it is possible the gas came
from another source. Landfill gas at the site contains VOCs. If gas in the building came from
the landfill then those who worked there may have breathed indoor air contaminated with VOCs.
No indoor air samples were collected from the building and analyzed for VOCs. This represents
a data gap. Estimates of worker exposure, based on several assumptions, indicate workers are
not likely to have any adverse health effects.
A. Site Description and History
In 1986, as the landfill neared its capacity, preparatory work was initiated to shut down operations at the site. The presence of leachate seeps in 1986 and operational problems at the site prompted the DNR to begin regulatory actions against the owner [33]. In 1988 the DNR found contamination of groundwater around the site (Table 2) and nearby private wells. A January 1988 report evaluating site conditions concluded the nearby groundwater contamination probably came from the site [14, p9]. A follow-up sampling program was immediately initiated.
The DNR issued an order in May 1988 requiring Refuse Hideaway, Inc., to stop receiving waste, to close and cap the landfill, to investigate the full extent of contamination, and recommend any necessary remedial measures [53, p1-1]. The 1988 Remedial Action Report, published by RMT, supported the earlier conclusion that nearby groundwater contamination probably came from the site. This report also concluded the extent of nearby groundwater contamination was much greater than previously suspected [53, p2-6]. The owner closed and capped the site according to Wisconsin Administrative Codes in late 1988. Then the owner conducted several investigations and actions, but did not enact all the clean-up actions requested by the DNR [33, p4]. A groundwater investigation was conducted in 1990 and 1991 by a DNR contractor to find out the extent of off-site groundwater contamination around Refuse Hideaway (Tables 3 and 4) [46].
One private well near the site (PW-2) was sampled for VOCs once in 1986 and no contamination was found [19]. Eight other private wells were sampled in January 1988, and VOC contamination was found in a water sample collected from one home (PW-1) southwest of the site [15].
Private wells were again sampled near Refuse Hideaway in January and March 1988 and it was learned there were three private wells, located approximately one-half mile southwest of the site, that were contaminated, and the contamination was probably site-related. These private wells were contaminated with several VOCs (Table 6) and served eight people. One of these private wells (PW-3) also provided water for three employees of a small agricultural business. Several VOCs detected in the private wells were at levels above the Wisconsin Public Health Groundwater Quality Enforcement Standard [53, p1-1] [69]. The November 1988 Remedial Action Report concluded the site was the probable source of the private well contamination [53, p7-1]. In March 1988 low levels of two trihalomethanes were detected in a private water supply south of the site. This contamination is probably not site-related [22]. In November 1989, the DNR collected water samples from all private wells located within one-mile of the site. The results from this sampling did not reveal contamination in any other private wells.
A supply of bottled drinking water was provided to the three households and the business with contaminated water in early 1988, however residents and employees continued to use contaminated water for other domestic purposes [15]. In October 1988 representatives of the Wisconsin Division of Health (DOH) talked to these people about ways to reduce their dermal and inhalation exposure to contaminants. The household sharing the well with the business (PW-3) was vacated by the tenant in late 1989, and the owner did not rent out the home. One employee at the business reported in 1992 that well water is no longer used. In 1989 the DNR installed a carbon-activated filtration system in the other two homes to clean their drinking water [62, p1-3]. Testing of post filter samples showed the system did not adequately remove all contamination [26]. This system was replaced by the DNR in May 1990 with a larger Point-of-Entry (POE) water filtration system [29]. A regular monitoring program has shown the POE system effectively removes all detectable VOCs. In July 1992 the DNR transferred the POE system ownership, maintenance, and monitoring responsibilities to the homeowners. These POE treatment systems became permanent water systems with the transference of ownership [36]. Bottled water continues is still provided by DNR to the offices of the seed company.
In dealing with the landfill, the DNR determined in 1990 that surface water was eroding the cap. A DNR contractor installed several ditch checks on the cap in July 1990 to reduce erosion [30]. Despite these actions erosion of the cap continued. Additional erosion control efforts were completed by the DNR in Fall 1992.
The level of landfill gas production from the site was much higher than originally estimated when Refuse Hideaway was first designed and opened. Landfill gas could potentially migrate away from the site and possibly cause an explosive hazard in nearby buildings [27]. In December 1989 a partial landfill gas and leachate extraction system was installed at Refuse Hideaway landfill. On two different dates in 1990 an explosive level of landfill gas was detected in a building on the landfill property. Private homes have not been threatened by landfill gas. The situation was corrected by a minor renovation to the building (see page 18). A full gas and leachate extraction system became operational in August 1991 [34]. This system includes extraction wells, connective piping, a gas blower, a gas flaring device, leachate pumps, and a leachate storage tank [30]. The gas flaring device was designed to burn up to 650 cubic feet per minute of gas. In 1992 the device typically burned approximately 400 cubic feet per minute of gas [30]. At the time of a DOH site visit in 1992 over 30,000 gallons of leachate per month were removed from the site [34], and one year later the system was extracting between 10,000 and 15,000 gallons per month, which suggest the cap is effective in reducing leachate production. Landfill gas is no longer detected by gas probes around the site, which suggests the gas extraction system reduces gas levels.
Refuse Hideaway Landfill was proposed for nomination to the National Priorities List (NPL) in August 1991 [33]. The U.S. EPA officially placed Refuse Hideaway on the NPL on October 14, 1992. There has not been previous involvement by ATSDR in matters relating to Refuse Hideaway Landfill.
Bedrock ridges sit high and are exposed north of the site. The bedrock is made up of sandstones overlaid by dolomite [57]. The depth to bedrock slopes steeply to the south of the site [33, p2]. A high degree of bedrock fracturing has been found at various locations around the site [53, p5-4]. The fractures apparently provide a quick route for contaminants to leave the site and enter the sandstone bedrock underlying the site. Groundwater and contaminants move relatively quickly through the bedrock and enter the sand and gravel deposits of the valley southwest of the landfill. However, none of the site-related hydrogeologic reports estimate the rate of groundwater movement through fractures in the bedrock.
Two of the contaminated private wells (PW-1 & PW-3) are 77 feet and 25 feet deep, respectively, and draw water from sand and gravel deposits. The third private well (PW-2) is 181 feet deep and draws water from the contaminated sandstone bedrock.
Groundwater close to the site generally moves to the southwest, toward the Black Earth Creek Valley. Once groundwater approaches Black Earth Creek it follows the regional flow pattern. However, groundwater at the site disperses in a radial pattern. It is thought the groundwater mounding causes this radial flow pattern [33, p3] [46, p7-1]. South of the site, the water table is between 5 to 15 feet below the surface of the ground [14, p25].
Two DOH representatives, Henry Nehls-Lowe and Mary Young, visited the site on July 1, 1992 [40] with Terry Evanson, the DNR Project Manager. From State Highway 14 the site appears as a grass covered and mounded hill, nestled up against a ridge running north of the site. Approaching the site from Highway 14 a small catchment basin was seen south of the sand and gravel business. This catchment receives runoff from the entire site. The Project Manager stated this basin is inadequate to handle the large volume of runoff that runs from the site during heavy rains. Testing of surface water collected from this basin, as described in the 1988 Remedial Action report, did show some contamination, but it is difficult to pinpoint the source. When the landfill was operational, leachate from the site may have entered this basin [53].
To reach the site from the east via the access road, one must pass through the operations of a private sand and gravel company, which rents the property from the landfill owner. This property is an operational base and for storing equipment. No quarrying activities occur on the landfill property.
Near the eastern edge of the Superfund site is a fenced area where landfill gas flaring occurs. Access to this compound is restricted by a locked gate. The flaring facility was installed in July 1991 and was operating during the site visit. Landfill gas is collected from extraction wells in the site connected by a system of pipes that converge at the flaring device. The flaring device burns landfill gas at approximately 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Flare stack emissions are monitored and meet Wisconsin emission guidelines.
Outside the flaring compound is the leachate pumping station. Similar to the landfill gas collection system, leachate pumped from wells at the site flows into underground pipes, which converge at the collection station. Leachate is regularly hauled away by tanker truck. Automatic alarm systems on the leachate collection system and the flaring device automatically alert the contractor by telephone when either system is overloaded or not operational.
Leachate and landfill gas extraction wells were observed on the site. Riprap is in drainage areas of the cap and locations where cap erosion has occurred or is threatened. At a few locations waste material (including medical waste) was seen protruding or lying on the surface of the cap. The smell of landfill gas was noted at one location on the site. Surface soil around the site is mainly sand and gravel. Exposed limestone/sandstone outcroppings were seen around the site.
The site is not fenced, however the access road is gated and locked. There was no evidence of trespassing. Some individuals reportedly had a number of unauthorized entries onto the site when it was open and receiving waste. There were no obvious physical hazards seen at the site during the visit. Heavily wooded and steep terrain west and north of the site would discourage people from coming onto the site from those directions. The Project Manager said she has observed turkey and deer tracks on the landfill property.
Homes are at least one-quarter mile from the site. There are approximately 53 homes within one mile of the site. Farming occurs mostly south of the site in the Black Earth Creek valley. Corn was the predominant crop seen growing at the time of the visit. Farm animals were not observed at the farms located around the site. An inactive dairy farm is approximately 1,000 feet south of Highway 14 and approximately 4,000 feet southwest of the site.
The Project Manager pointed out the three private homes and business southwest of the site that have contaminated wells (there are no other private wells with site-related contamination). The two nearest homes with contaminated water are approximately 2,000 feet from the site and on the north side of Highway 14. The third contaminated private well is found at a house another 500 feet west of these homes. An employee at the business stated the water from the well is no longer used. This rental property is part of a seed farm that is south of Highway 14. The inactive dairy farm is 1,000 feet south of the seed farm. Black Earth Creek traverses the seed farm property. Monitoring well P-31 is located near the bank of Black Earth Creek. Well P-31 is 3,500 feet from the site and is the furthest detected point of groundwater contamination.
One mile west-southwest of the site is Deer Run Heights. This neighborhood has 25 homes and all obtain water from private wells. There are an estimated 80 people living here. None of these private wells have shown signs of groundwater contamination, but the neighborhood is in the apparent path of the contaminant plume coming from the site. The DNR tests a selection of these private wells for contamination on an annual basis. Half the wells are tested during one six-month cycle, and the remaining wells are tested during the second six-month cycle. People living in this neighborhood are middle to upper-middle class, and the homes have been built within the last 20-25 years.
C. Demographics, Land Use, and Natural Resource Use
The area surrounding Refuse Hideaway landfill is rural and predominantly agricultural. Corn and soybeans are grown in the Black Earth Creek valley to the east and south of the site. There are many small-scale dairy farms in the Black Earth Creek valley, with an inactive farm located about one mile southwest of the site. Approximately one-half mile north-northwest of the site is a tree farm. A seed farm (PW-3) is on Highway 14 and 2,500 feet southwest of the site. On the landfill property and to the immediate east of the site is an office, storage and staging area for a sand and gravel company. No quarrying activities are performed on or next to the landfill property. A number of active quarries are located in the vicinity of the site. Local residents reported hearing blasting from some quarries [14, p20].
There are many private homes in the area of Refuse Hideaway Landfill. There are 25 homes in the Deer Run Heights neighborhood and residents report an estimated 80 people living there. Approximately 53 homes are within one mile of the site [57]. This converts to a population of 131, using 3.2 people per household [16, TABLE C-6]. The DNR estimates 14,600 people obtain drinking water from public and private wells within four miles of the site [57]. The Village of Cross Plains has two municipal wells providing water to its 2,362 residents and the wells have a depth of 253 and 295 feet. The Village of Cross Plains is located along the Black Earth Creek. The Town of Middleton is not served by a municipal water supply [18].
Refuse Hideaway Landfill is located in a rural portion of the Town of Middleton, with the western edge of the City of Middleton two miles to the east and the Village of Cross Plains four miles to the west. According to the 1990 Census there are 3,628 persons living in the Town of Middleton. There are 16,774 persons residing within the City of Middleton and the Village of Cross Plains has a population of 2,362. Over 97 percent of the population is white, with the median age between 32 and 33 years, and an average household income between $42,500 and $41,000 [12] [13] [16, TABLE C-1].
"Health Outcome Data" refers to records of death and illness. When there is evidence people
living near a site have been exposed to contaminants at levels that could lead to an increase in
rates of death or disease, a review of health outcome data may be appropriate. A review also
may be appropriate if there are reports of unusual clusters of disease near the site or due to
specific community health concerns. As discussed in the Pathways Analysis section, despite a
completed exposure pathway in the past, there is no evidence of significant public exposure to
chemicals from the site that might plausibly result in deaths or illness. One case of skin cancer
was reported for an individual who was exposed to contaminated groundwater. The Division of
Health also received reports of several prostate cancer cases in the vicinity of the site. See
Community Health Concerns Evaluation, on page 29, for further a discussion of these cancers.
The DOH has solicited community concerns from the public on a number of occasions. This includes at two public meetings (1992 and 1993), correspondence and discussions with specific individuals, and during DNR community interviews [42]. During these contacts, some citizens have asked health-related questions and expressed general concerns related to the Refuse Hideaway Landfill. The issues they asked includes the following:
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