General Tire and Rubber Co. ran a landfill on a 58-acre property about two miles north of Mayfield, Kentucky, from 1970 to 1984. The company disposed of manufacturing waste there, including an estimated 152 tons of hazardous materials buried in trenches between 1970 and 1979. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in February 1990 because landfill operations had contaminated groundwater.
The main concern was that people or the environment could be harmed by ingesting or touching contaminated groundwater. EPA ran a remedial investigation and feasibility study from December 1989 through October 1993. In 1993, EPA issued a cleanup decision finding that no further action was required, based on site data and estimated health risks. A key factor was that six groundwater extraction wells at the adjacent former General Tire plant were already preventing contaminants from spreading further.
In 1985, General Tire had covered the landfill trenches with two feet of clean soil and seeded the area under a state-approved closure plan. Construction of cleanup work was completed in October 1993. Continental Tire North America, which acquired General Tire in 1987, is the responsible party and continues to monitor groundwater at the site alongside the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection (KDEP).
EPA removed the site from the NPL on October 27, 2000. In June 2006, the site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status, meaning all cleanup goals for current and expected future land uses have been met with no unacceptable risks remaining. Human exposure is considered under control, and no Five-Year Reviews are required going forward.
During the cleanup process, EPA kept the community informed through public notices, public meetings, and interviews. The site profile page remains available for historical reference. Community members or others with questions can contact EPA's Remedial Project Manager.
