Investigation of the Murray landfill - An uncontrolled hazardous waste site

Abstract

Murray Landfill was a refuse site for the City of Springfield, Missouri for six years. The City landfill prior to Murray has been determined to be an uncontrolled hazardous waste site and is included in the National Priority List for Superfund clean-up action. Additionally, Murray Landfill has been proposed by the City as a site for construction of a new Wastewater Treatment Plant. This thesis is an analysis of the general nature of hazardous waste at the site, its sources and paths of transport and the possible effects of this proposed construction. In examining the sources of any hazardous waste, landfill history, chronology and probable operating procedures are the foremost indicators of any possible contamination. A conceptual model of Murray Landfill is developed and evaluated, while the legal implications of operating this landfill and continuing with the proposed construction are reviewed, and recommendations for a remedial investigation under the guidance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are outlined.