Fultz Landfill

Overview

Fultz Landfill operated in Jackson Township, Guernsey County, Ohio from 1954 to 1985, accepting residential, commercial, and industrial waste. The site violated environmental rules by failing to control leachate and by accepting unauthorized hazardous waste drums. EPA placed it on the National Priorities List in 1984 after leachate was found to contain dangerous levels of metals and phenolic compounds.

More than 100 chemical substances have been identified as contaminants of concern. These include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and vinyl chloride, semivolatile compounds including phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and inorganic substances like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury. Chlorinated compounds, ketones, and phenolic compounds have also been detected. Contamination was found in groundwater, leachate, and solid waste.

The cleanup plan was finalized in September 1991 and covered one operable unit addressing capping and dewatering. The remedy included an engineered landfill cap, landfill gas collection and treatment, groundwater extraction through recovery trenches and vertical wells, pump-and-treat systems, chemical oxidation, wetlands replacement, surface water discharge monitoring, and connection to a municipal water supply. A non-fundamental change to the remedy was documented in May 1995. Construction work ran from June 1997 through September 1998, with operation and maintenance continuing through October 2011 and beyond. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on September 27, 2013. The most recent five-year review was completed on June 30, 2022, with the next review estimated between June and August 2027. Operation and maintenance is estimated to continue through late 2027 or early 2028. The site has not yet been deleted from the National Priorities List.

EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways. Contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent residential development, are in place to limit future exposure. Long-term monitoring continues to confirm that contamination stays within the original area.

Community members can review site records at the Fultz Landfill Repository at Byesville Branch Library, 100 Glass Avenue, Byesville, Ohio 43723, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (phone 740-685-2236). For questions, contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.