Kim-Stan Landfill

Overview

Kim-Stan Landfill sits in Selma, Virginia and operated as a sanitary and industrial landfill from November 1972 to May 1990. During that time it accepted roughly 865,000 tons of waste, including waste oils with PCBs, aluminum sludges containing mercury, asbestos, and medical waste from hospitals and manufacturing plants. The EPA added the site to its National Priorities List in July 1999 after environmental sampling beginning in 1982 showed hazardous substances were reaching groundwater and surface water.

The main contaminants of concern are arsenic, vinyl chloride, iron, manganese, and thallium. These have been detected in groundwater, leachate, sediment, and surface water. Leachate also contains elevated levels of barium and nickel. A July 2002 investigation confirmed the groundwater contamination, and EPA selected these substances for cleanup after evaluating exposure routes, concentrations, and potential health and ecological effects.

Cleanup work between 2000 and 2009 included building a leachate collection trench and barrier wall, upgrading a local wastewater treatment plant, and installing a pipeline to carry leachate to the county sewer system. A stormwater diversion project completed in 2001 stops clean surface water and groundwater from flowing through the landfill. An engineered cap was placed over the landfill waste to prevent direct contact. The Commonwealth of Virginia took over long-term operation and maintenance responsibility in March 2012. Construction has been fully complete since August 2009.

As of the most recent Five-Year Review in November 2025, the remedy protects human health and the environment in the short term. There are no complete exposure pathways to contaminated groundwater, landfill waste, or landfill gas. Landfill gas levels remain well below action levels at the perimeter. Groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prohibit residential development and other incompatible land uses, are in place to keep the site safe. EPA recommends future groundwater sampling for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to determine whether those contaminants are present. The site remains on the National Priorities List.

Community members who want to learn more or get involved can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site records are available for public review at the Clifton Forge Public Library at 535 Church Street in Clifton Forge, Virginia, or by appointment at EPA Region 3 in Philadelphia by calling 215-814-2396.