The Stoughton City Landfill covers 27 acres in Dane County, Wisconsin. It operated from 1952 to 1969 as a disposal site for commercial and municipal waste. The plastics and rubber manufacturer Uniroyal, Inc. disposed of solvents, liquid chemicals, and vinyl plastic scrap there. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
Contamination was found in groundwater and solid waste within the landfill. EPA identified eleven contaminants of concern, including arsenic, benzene, chromium, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and xylene. These substances pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment based on the amounts found and the exposure pathways involved.
The cleanup remedy was selected in September 1991 and construction was finished in December 1998. Work included capping the waste disposal area, excavating waste from the edges and placing it under the cap, installing fencing, putting land-use restrictions in place, and setting up long-term monitoring. Groundwater contamination has been stabilized in its original area, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All deed restrictions remain in place.
EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) completed a five-year review in August 2023 and confirmed the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. The site has achieved "Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use" status, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met. Future steps include evaluating 1,4-dioxane as a potential emerging contaminant, sampling groundwater for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and developing updated stewardship procedures. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2028. The City of Stoughton is also exploring possible productive reuses for portions of the site.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Questions can also be directed to the Wisconsin DNR.
