Duell & Gardner Landfill operated as a municipal landfill in Dalton Township, Michigan from the 1940s to 1975. It was added to the National Priorities List in September 1983 after contaminated soil and groundwater were identified. The site has since completed all cleanup work and was deleted from the list in September 2019.
Contamination affected both groundwater and soil. Groundwater contained volatile organic compounds including chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and tetrachloroethene, along with aniline and related compounds. Soil held polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides including p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT, pentachlorophenol, and several other organic chemicals. EPA identified 20 contaminants of concern in total across both media.
Cleanup happened in stages. A removal action in 1985 and 1986 disposed of roughly 550 drums, laboratory bottles, sludge-like material, and general debris. The long-term remedy, selected in June 2001 and operational by August 2002, included excavating contaminated materials for off-site disposal, consolidating remaining contaminated soils under an impermeable cap, and extracting and treating groundwater. Groundwater contaminant levels met Michigan water quality standards, so the treatment system was shut down in June 2010 and decommissioned in 2012. EPA completed its Long Term Remedial Action in 2012 and transferred oversight to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality that August.
Human exposure across the entire site is currently under control. Groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. A 2015 five-year review confirmed the remedy protects public health and the environment. Five-year reviews have been completed in 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and most recently in January 2025. An environmental covenant restricts current and future land use to prevent exposure to any remaining contamination. The site was declared ready for anticipated reuse in February 2008.
Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site. An administrative record of 85 documents is also available through EPA's Superfund database for public review.
