The North Hollywood Dump is a 171-acre former municipal landfill in Memphis, Tennessee. It operated from the 1930s until 1967 and received industrial chemical wastes from companies including Hayden Chemical Company and Velsicol Chemical Corporation. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983 after finding hazardous contamination in groundwater, sediment, soil, and fish tissue.
EPA identified 18 contaminants of concern at the site. These include metals such as lead, arsenic, copper, nickel, zinc, barium, and vanadium, as well as pesticides including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, and beta-hexachlorocyclohexane. Contamination was found across multiple media: soil, groundwater, sediment, and fish tissue in an abandoned dredge pond on the property.
Cleanup work began in 1980. Responsible parties removed drums, capped the landfill, dredged contaminated sediment from the abandoned dredge pond, and harvested over 57 tons of contaminated fish in two separate efforts. A protective soil cover was placed over discrete areas. EPA selected the final remedy in September 1990, and construction was completed by July 1997. EPA deleted the site from the NPL on December 31, 1997. The site reached "ready for anticipated reuse" status in July 2019.
Today, the main remaining concern is fish contamination in the abandoned dredge pond. Contaminant levels are declining, but cleanup goals for fish have not yet been met, and people should not eat fish from the site. The pond area is fenced and posted with no-fishing signs. Contaminated soil was capped during cleanup, eliminating the soil exposure risk. Low levels of groundwater contamination remain but stay within the site boundary and do not affect people, since the groundwater is not used for drinking or other purposes. EPA assessments confirm that human exposure and groundwater migration are under control. The land is zoned for agricultural use but is currently vacant. Long-term monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and fish tissue is ongoing. The most recent Five-Year Review was completed in 2020, and EPA conducts these reviews regularly.
Community members can get involved by attending public meetings, watching for public notices, and contacting the EPA representatives assigned to the site. The site's records are available for public review at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library at 3030 Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee 38111. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.
