The Coshocton Landfill covers 88.5 acres in Coshocton County, Ohio, about 3.5 miles southeast of the city of Coshocton. The city ran the landfill from 1968 to 1979 on land previously used for coal strip mining. During those years, it accepted industrial waste including hazardous liquids stored in drums. A fire burned at the site for three days in 1977. Investigations found contamination in groundwater, surface water, and soil, though the city water supply was not affected. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in December 1982.
Seventeen chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern. These include volatile organic compounds such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, toluene, and xylene. The site also contains methyl ethyl ketone, carbon disulfide, pesticides including heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, pentachlorophenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and metals including copper, nickel, and zinc. Contamination was found in groundwater, surface water, and leachate.
Cleanup moved through two main phases. An initial removal action ran from March 1984 to October 1985. A combined investigation and feasibility study ran from September 1983 to June 1988, when EPA selected the final remedy. That remedy included placing a solid waste cap over 40 acres, long-term monitoring, leachate control, drainage and erosion controls, revegetation, and discharge to a publicly owned treatment works. Remedial design began in February 1990, and the remedial action started in December 1993 and finished in September 1995. Groundwater monitoring showed contaminants fell below cleanup levels, and EPA and Ohio deleted the site from the National Priorities List in October 1998.
Human exposure is currently under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site has achieved ready-for-anticipated-use status, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met. EPA completed its sixth five-year review in October 2023 and confirmed the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment. To maintain long-term protection, Ohio needs to put an Environmental Covenant in place under the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act and add long-term stewardship procedures to the existing Operations and Maintenance Plan.
Community members with questions about the site can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. EPA continues to conduct five-year reviews to confirm the remedy stays effective over time.
