The planning process for the clean-up of thousands of gallons of industrial waste at the Tremont City Barrel Fill site in Clark County is underway. However, officials told WYSO that it will still be a while until shovels hit the ground and waste starts to be removed from or reinterred at the former dump.
In the late 1970s, the Tremont City Barrel Fill was used by companies such as Procter & Gamble and PPG Industries to bury their unwanted waste. This year, a judge ordered these companies to pay more than $25 million to clean up the site. What makes the clean-up unique is that the judge also ordered that the companies and the US EPA Region 5 include in the planning process local politicians, health officials, and citizen groups who have advocated for the site's clean-up for decades.
For example, a group called People for Safe Water, which has sounded the alarm for years about the potential for groundwater contamination from the barrel fill site, has been involved in stakeholder meetings that started this month. Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson, who has worked on the barrel fill site for 22 years, also has a seat at the table.
"We don't want things to be contentious; we all want the same thing," Commissioner Patterson said. "I think we came out of that meeting understanding that Region Five wants it cleaned up and wants it cleaned up forever, and the PRPs (Potentially Responsible Parties) they're going to spend at least $26 million, if not more due to inflation, so they don't want to have to worry about it either."
The deal states that the liquid waste at the landfill will be removed and relocated. The solid waste will be reburied at the site to modern standards with a double lining to prevent leakage.
Patterson said it will be at least a few more years until shovels hit the ground and waste starts to be removed from or reinterred at the site.
"Believe me, you do not want this done in a haphazard manner. You want it done exactly by the book every step of the way," he said. "Unfortunately, it just takes time to do that, and do it safely and properly."
Patterson said monthly progress reports on the clean-up will be available on the US EPA's website starting in January.
Chris Welter is a reporter and corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
