Haverhill Municipal Landfill covers 71 acres along the Merrimack River in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The city began using the land after a major flood in 1936 and accepted municipal and industrial waste there until 1981. Sludge from a local wastewater treatment plant and paper waste were also dumped on site until 1996. Disposed materials included drums of unknown contents, tannery and shoe wastes, tires, and flammables like lacquers, paints, oils, and glues. The EPA added the site to the National Priorities List on June 10, 1986, after an initial assessment in 1980.
Groundwater beneath the site contains low levels of volatile organic compounds and inorganic compounds, including metals. Methane gas is being captured and passively vented. Human exposure from ingesting or touching contaminants in soil and groundwater is assessed as under control. However, groundwater migration is not yet fully understood, and physical cleanup construction is not complete.
Cleanup has moved through several phases. The EPA performed a removal action in September 1990. Starting in 2004, crews carried out two rounds of drum removal that pulled more than 6,500 drums and 64 rolls of hazardous wastes and stained soils from the site. The southern mound was graded and capped in 2012. The northern lobe still needs to be capped once risk assessments and design plans are approved. A remedial investigation and feasibility study began in October 1999 to evaluate cleanup options, but no final remedy has been selected and no Records of Decision have been issued. The site remains on the National Priorities List.
Aggregate Industries and the City of Haverhill own the property and are responsible for ongoing monitoring and final closure. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection oversees solid waste closure requirements, with EPA providing oversight. Zoning restrictions are in place to prevent land uses that would expose people to contamination, and an Activity and Use Limitations document will be required before the site can be reused. The City of Haverhill is considering redevelopment options for the property.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. State-level questions can be directed to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Public records are available at the Bradford Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Haverhill Public Library, and the EPA Region 1 Records and Information Center in Boston.
