Brantley Landfill sits on 35 acres in Island, McLean County, Kentucky. From 1978 to 1980, Barmet Aluminum Corporation (now Aleris) dumped 250,000 tons of salt cake fines there. Salt cake fines are byproducts of secondary aluminum recovery. They release ammonia gas and contaminants including ammonia, sodium, chloride, sulfate, and metals into groundwater and surface water. The EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990 because of contamination in air, groundwater, sediment, soil, and surface water.
Contaminants at the site span several categories. Metals found include aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, and zinc. Pesticides detected include aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, and lindane. Organic chemicals include benzene, tetrachloroethane, and dichloroethene. Air contamination includes ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Cyanide was found in surface water, and chloride and sulfate were found in groundwater and leachate.
Cleanup began in the mid-1980s with air monitoring. A remedial investigation and feasibility study ran from 1990 to 1994, leading to a final remedy in December 1994. Construction wrapped up in August 1998 and included a new landfill cap, monitoring wells, and drainage improvements. In 2013, EPA modified the remedy to cap only the northern portion of the landfill and cut groundwater monitoring from quarterly to annual. Protective measures now include monthly cap inspections, annual groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls that ban groundwater use and residential construction on the landfill area. A 2012 well survey confirmed that residents within a mile get municipal water from the city of Island, drawn from wells along the Green River three miles away, so site contamination does not threaten local drinking water. Amendments to the Declaration of Restrictions were filed in January 2018 to tie these protections to current property deeds.
EPA completed the most recent five-year review in January 2023. That review found the remedy protects human health and the environment. Human exposure is under control, with no unacceptable pathways for people to contact contaminants. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in March 2012 and was deleted from the NPL in August 2022.
Community members can get involved through public notices and public meetings that EPA uses to share updates on site activities. Records are available for review at Island City Hall, located at 160 South First Street, Island, Kentucky 42350. Two EPA staff members handle questions about the site and can be reached directly using the contact information below.
