Sparta Landfill sits on 26 acres in Kent County, Michigan, about one mile southeast of the village of Sparta. It operated as an open dump from the 1940s until 1972, accepting general residential and commercial waste. Kent County then ran a licensed landfill on adjacent property from 1972 until 1977. The site was proposed for the EPA's National Priorities List in December 1982 and officially listed in September 1983.
The main contaminants are volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, xylene, and trichloroethylene. These were detected in on-site monitoring wells and nearby residential wells in 1979. The primary health concern is people ingesting or touching contaminated water, or breathing vapors from contaminated water during household use. Kent County replaced four affected residential wells after contamination was first found.
Cleanup work began in 1996, when Kent County designed and installed a multi-layer landfill cap with a passive gas vent system under state oversight. In September 2000, EPA selected a remedy of groundwater monitoring paired with no further action for certain areas. Construction finished that same month. Institutional controls put in place in 2008 prohibit disturbing the landfill cover and ban groundwater extraction. In March 2018, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences to modify the remedy by adding institutional controls and adjusting some remedy elements. Kent County continues monitoring groundwater and air on and near the landfill, with long-term monitoring estimated to run through 2027.
Human exposure is currently under control across the entire site. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site has achieved "Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use" status, meaning all cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met. EPA has completed five-year reviews in 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022 to confirm the remedy stays protective. Another review is estimated for 2027. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.
Community members can get involved by contacting EPA's Remedial Project Manager, Scott Hansen, by email or phone. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality also has a project manager assigned to the site. During five-year reviews, EPA invites community members to share comments about site conditions and any concerns they have.
