Smith's Farm

Overview

Smith's Farm in Brooks, Kentucky operated as an uncontrolled dump from the 1940s through the 1970s, then as an industrial landfill until 1989. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added it to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986 after industrial waste disposal contaminated groundwater, soil, sediment, and surface water. The site is split into two main cleanup areas: the Unpermitted Drum Disposal Area and the Formerly Permitted Landfill.

More than 100 chemicals have been identified as contaminants of concern. The Unpermitted Drum Disposal Area contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, chromium, nickel, arsenic, benzene, trichloroethene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The Formerly Permitted Landfill holds heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, and manganese, chlorinated solvents including vinyl chloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane, pesticides like DDT and chlordane, and aromatic compounds like benzene and toluene. These contaminants appear in soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, and leachate.

Major cleanup work ran from the mid-1980s through 1998. Contractors removed thousands of industrial drums and excavated over 21,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment. An 11-acre capped landfill with leachate collection was built in the drum disposal area, and the 40-acre formerly permitted landfill was consolidated, capped, and given its own leachate treatment plant. The two leachate systems were later connected. Additional drums found in 2008 were also removed along with contaminated soil. Construction was fully complete by September 1998. The potentially responsible parties, overseen by EPA and the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, fund all cleanup, monitoring, and oversight work.

Human exposure is currently under control. Remaining waste sits under secured, fenced landfill caps maintained daily, and leachate collection and treatment systems remain active. Restrictive covenants prevent residential or other land uses inconsistent with remaining contamination levels. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in June 2006. A Five-Year Review was completed September 30, 2021, with the next review estimated between August and October 2026. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL. The site owner is also exploring options such as native wildflower planting and a potential solar farm on a portion of the property.

Community members can stay involved through public notices, public meetings, and interviews that EPA conducts throughout the cleanup process. Site documents are available for public viewing at Ridgeway Memorial Library, 127 Walnut Street, Shepherdsville, Kentucky. For questions, contact Community Involvement Coordinator Donnica Wiley or Remedial Project Manager Emily Jones.