The Wingate Road Municipal Incinerator Dump sits in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and has been on the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List since October 1989. The site operated as a waste incinerator from 1954 to 1978, leaving behind contaminated soil, sediment, and surface water across a 40-acre area. The City of Fort Lauderdale is the responsible party and has funded all cleanup, monitoring, and oversight activities under legal agreements with the EPA.
EPA identified 24 contaminants of concern spread across groundwater, surface water, soil, and sediment. These include heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and beryllium, along with organic compounds including benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, dioxins, and toxaphene. Lead showed up in soil, groundwater, and surface water. Mercury and cadmium were also detected in multiple media types.
The main cleanup, completed in January 2002, involved excavating contaminated soil and sediments, placing them in a landfill, capping 40 acres of the site, and installing monitoring wells on nearby properties. Dioxin-contaminated soils were treated on-site or disposed of off-site. Area residents were connected to a public water supply line as part of the remedy. The site reached sitewide ready for reuse status in June 2006. Human exposure to contamination is currently under control, and there are no unacceptable exposure pathways at this time.
Ongoing work includes monitoring fish in adjacent Rock Pit Lake to track any remaining contamination, and operation and maintenance activities have continued under EPA oversight since August 2002. Institutional controls such as zoning restrictions and groundwater use restrictions remain in place to prevent residential development and limit exposure to any contamination that remains. The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2021, confirmed the remedy is protective. The next review is planned for August through October 2026. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.
Community members can get involved by contacting the EPA staff assigned to the site. The Fort Lauderdale main library at 100 S Andrews Avenue holds Superfund records for public review. The EPA has conducted public notices, public meetings, and community interviews throughout the cleanup process. A Technical Assistance Grant was also provided, allowing the community to work with an independent advisor to better understand the cleanup approach and associated risks.
