Taylor Road Landfill

Overview

Taylor Road Landfill is a 42-acre former municipal landfill in Seffner, Florida that operated from 1976 to 1980. EPA added it to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1983 after waste handling practices contaminated groundwater beneath the site. Hillsborough County is the primary responsible party and manages the property under oversight from EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Groundwater at the site contains 19 contaminants of concern. These include volatile organic chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and vinyl chloride, along with dichloroethanes, dichlorobenzenes, toluene, ethylbenzene, chloroform, and dichloromethane. Mercury and nickel are the inorganic contaminants present. EPA identified these substances because they pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment based on the amounts found and their potential health effects.

EPA selected a cleanup remedy in 1995 that uses monitored natural attenuation, meaning the groundwater contamination is tracked over time and allowed to break down naturally. Hillsborough County expanded the groundwater monitoring system between 1998 and 2000, adding five new monitoring wells and connecting seven nearby residences to the public water supply. EPA updated the remedy in 2000. Construction of the cleanup finished in 1999, and operation and maintenance activities under EPA oversight began in September 2001. Institutional controls restrict the construction of groundwater wells and potable use of groundwater at the site. Zoning restrictions also prevent residential and other incompatible uses.

Human exposure to contamination is currently under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in 2012. The most recent Five Year Review, completed in September 2023, confirmed the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List. The next five-year review is estimated to occur between September and November 2028.

Hillsborough County has put the land to active community use and received the 2010 EPA Region 4 Excellence in Site Reuse award for doing so. Facilities on site include a recycling center, a household chemical and electronics collection center, a community collection center, a site maintenance facility, and an environmental field office. The county also partnered with the Tampa Radio-Control Aircraft Club to build a model airplane park with a paved runway. Residents with questions about solid waste services can call (813) 272-5680. EPA conducts ongoing community involvement activities including public notices, meetings, and interviews to keep the public informed about site activities.