The Ramapo Landfill covers 96 acres in Ramapo, New York, in Rockland County. It operated from 1971 to 1989, accepting municipal waste, construction debris, and industrial materials including asbestos, paint sludge, and liquid waste. The EPA placed it on the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1983 after waste disposal contaminated groundwater. The site remains on that list today.
Fifteen contaminants of concern have been identified, all in groundwater. They include metals such as arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, and manganese, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, chlorobenzene, and 1,1-dichloroethane, and pesticide-related compounds including lindane and related hexachlorocyclohexane forms. Other contaminants include iron, magnesium, sodium, and di-n-octyl phthalate.
The EPA selected a cleanup plan in March 1992. It called for landfill capping, drainage and erosion controls, excavation, onsite consolidation of materials, a leachate collection system, groundwater extraction wells, and institutional controls to prevent drinking water well installation. Construction ran from 1994 to September 1997. An Explanation of Significant Differences, issued in November 1997, modified some elements of the remedy. The landfill cap has significantly reduced threats to public health and the environment.
Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable pathways for contact with site contamination. Groundwater migration is also under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated use status in February 2014, meaning all cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met and required land-use controls are in place. The site now hosts a Town of Ramapo Police Department gun range and a Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority composting facility. The EPA has completed six five-year reviews, with reviews noted in December 1999, December 2004, December 2009, February 2015, February 2020, and September 2025. For long-term protection, the EPA must confirm that groundwater extraction wells are effectively capturing contaminated groundwater. Operation and maintenance activities continue under state oversight.
Community members can reach out directly to the two EPA contacts assigned to this site. Documents are available online through the EPA, in person at the Superfund Records Center at the EPA's New York office in Manhattan, or at the Finkelstein Public Library in Spring Valley or the Suffern Free Public Library in Suffern, both in Rockland County.
