Warwick Landfill

Overview

Warwick Landfill is a 19-acre unlined landfill in Warwick, New York, that accepted waste from the Town of Warwick and surrounding Orange County communities from the mid-1950s until its closure in 1979. Testing that year found hazardous materials, including heavy metals, phenols, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), seeping from the site. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in March 1989.

Contaminants affect groundwater, soil, surface water, and sediment across the site. Groundwater holds VOCs such as benzene, trichloroethene, and xylene, plus metals including arsenic, lead, mercury, and manganese. Soil contains arsenic, lead, chromium, and other metals. Surface water shows metals like aluminum, copper, and zinc, along with organic compounds and the pesticide aldrin. Sediment contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and compounds like naphthalene, pyrene, and chloroform. EPA identified more than 80 contaminants of concern in total.

EPA's cleanup plan addressed two areas. For the landfill itself, workers built a multi-layer synthetic cap to stop rainwater from driving more contamination into groundwater. Four residential wells that exceeded drinking water standards for VOCs received point-of-use carbon treatment units. For groundwater, EPA determined that no further action was needed after confirming that low-level contamination found in some residential wells was not linked to the landfill. Cap construction ran from August 1995 through May 1999. Human exposure is under control and contaminated groundwater is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA continues to monitor groundwater.

The site was deleted from the NPL, with sources placing that date in either July 2001 or October 2000. The site reached ready-for-reuse status in February 2009. EPA conducts five-year reviews to confirm the cleanup stays protective. The most recent review was completed in November 2020 and found the cleanup remains effective. The next review is estimated between November 2025 and January 2026.

Community members can review site documents in person at Warwick Town Hall, 132 Kings Highway, Warwick, New York 10990, or at the EPA's New York office at 290 Broadway, 18th floor. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator and Remedial Project Manager are available to answer questions.