Rhinehart Tire Fire Dump

Overview

Between October 1983 and July 1984, a massive tire fire burned at this 22-acre site in Frederick County, Virginia. Five to seven million tires were consumed, and the fire produced oily tar that contaminated the nearby Massey Run stream. The EPA added the site to its Superfund National Priorities List in June 1986.

Sixteen contaminants of concern have been identified across two main cleanup areas. The first area, focused on controlling offsite migration, contained aluminum, benzene, cadmium, chromium, ethylbenzene, iron, lead, manganese, naphthalene, toluene, xylene, and zinc in groundwater and liquid waste. The second area, covering closure of Dutchman's Pond, contained copper, silver, and zinc in surface water, sediment, and soil. Historically, elevated zinc levels in sediments and surface water were acutely and chronically toxic to aquatic life, and eating trout from Hogue Creek posed a potential health risk before contaminated sediments were addressed.

Cleanup began during firefighting in November 1983, when the EPA built a lined containment basin called Dutchman's Pond that captured over 800,000 gallons of oily waste, later recycled into fuel oils. A 1988 Record of Decision set out an interim remedy covering soil erosion controls, pond improvements, surface water collection and treatment, and a groundwater collection system. The on-site treatment plant processed over 75 million gallons of contaminated water between 1992 and the early 2000s. Dutchman's Pond was closed in 1995, and a third cleanup phase from March through September 2002 removed remaining hazardous materials. Remedial construction was complete by September 2002, and a Final Five-Year Review in November 2002 confirmed the site was protective of human health and the environment.

Soil and groundwater contaminant levels are now comparable to background levels. Human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is stabilized, and the entire site is ready for its anticipated uses. The site was deleted from the National Priorities List on September 30, 2005, and achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status on June 26, 2006. With all hazardous substances removed and unlimited use now allowed, no additional monitoring or reviews are required.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Site documents, including over 75 records in the Administrative Record, are available online through the EPA Superfund database or in person at the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia by calling (215) 814-2396 to schedule an appointment.