The Kummer Sanitary Landfill sits on 42 acres near Bemidji, Minnesota. It operated as a municipal waste disposal site from 1971 to 1984, accepting solid waste, demolition debris, fly ash, and sawdust. Those materials contaminated groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that can evaporate from water and pose health risks. The site was placed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986 and later deleted from it in April 1996 after entering Minnesota's Closed Landfill Program.
Contaminants found at the site include trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, vinyl chloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, xylenes, naphthalene, and arsenic, among others. EPA identified 33 contaminants of concern across the site. Groundwater and solid waste are the primary affected media.
Cleanup was organized into three areas, called operable units (OUs). The first addressed drinking water by installing a new municipal well and connecting 198 homes to public water supply. The second involved building a multi-layer engineered cap over the landfill, completed in 1992, along with gas collection and a solar-powered gas flare. The third focused on controlling groundwater movement, using in-situ bioremediation, monitoring, and institutional controls. Overall construction was completed by June 2000, and the site reached ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in June 2013.
Currently, arsenic, vinyl chloride, and 1,4-dioxane exceed risk-based levels in groundwater. Human exposure across the site is under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist. Contaminated groundwater is stabilized in the original area of contamination with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a Special Well and Boring Construction Area to stop new wells from being drilled into the contamination plume. Zoning restrictions prevent residential and other incompatible land uses at the site. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) handles routine maintenance, landfill gas monitoring, and groundwater monitoring. The most recent five-year review was completed in March 2023, and the next is estimated between March and May 2028.
Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Questions can also be directed to the MPCA. Public records are available through the MPCA office at 520 Lafayette Road North in St. Paul, Minnesota.
