York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority Landfill

Overview

The York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority Landfill covers 135 acres in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania. It accepted waste from 1974 to 1985, when materials dumped into unlined pits contaminated the underlying groundwater. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection found the contamination in 1982 and halted operations in 1985. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1987 and removed it in 2005 after cleanup was completed.

Groundwater is the affected medium. EPA identified 14 contaminants of concern there, including volatile organic compounds such as tetrachloroethene, carbon tetrachloride, and vinyl chloride, along with metals including arsenic, chromium, mercury, cadmium, and others. The main health concern is drinking water exposure or direct contact with contaminated groundwater. Current assessments show no residents are being exposed to the contaminated groundwater at this time.

The 1994 cleanup plan calls for groundwater recovery and treatment, a vegetated soil cap over the landfill, point-of-entry filtration for affected private wells, and ongoing monitoring. An air stripping system and carbon adsorption treat the pumped groundwater before discharge. In 2004, an Explanation of Significant Differences modified one part of the remedy. After the 2022 Five-Year Review identified a gap in groundwater capture near the southern boundary, EPA installed an additional extraction well, called YC-4, to address that area. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and block land uses incompatible with the cleanup, such as residential development.

The site is ready for anticipated reuse, a status it reached in May 2009. Today it hosts the Hopewell Area Recreation Complex, which opened in 2007 and includes trails, athletic fields, and wildlife habitat supporting over 122 bird species. A 2-acre solar array with 806 panels, operational since July 2014, generates about 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year to power the treatment systems and office buildings. One on-site business operated there as of December 2024, employing four people. Groundwater treatment continues and will run until drinking water standards are met across the full contamination area. The next five-year review is scheduled between July and September 2027.

Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly using the contact information below. Public records are available at the York County Solid Waste Authority office at 2700 Black Bridge Road, York, PA 17406, or at EPA Region III's office at 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Appointments can be arranged by calling either location in advance.