Spickler Landfill

Overview

Spickler Landfill is a 10-acre former municipal and industrial dump on an 80-acre parcel in Spencer, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in July 1987. The site accepted mercury brine waste starting in 1970, along with asbestos-containing kalo dust and waste solvents. EPA has identified 28 contaminants of concern found in leachate and groundwater. These include metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium, organic compounds such as benzene, vinyl chloride, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other substances including cyanide and iron.

Cleanup has been organized into two operable units. The first covers the landfill cap and leachate removal system, using methods that include an active gas collection system, pumping and monitoring, solidification and stabilization, onsite treatment, and an engineered cap. Construction on this work ran from February 1994 to September 1995. A second operable unit addresses groundwater, with no further active remediation selected beyond monitoring. Groundwater monitoring continues until cleanup goals are met. Landfill gas monitoring in 2010 and 2011 found no evidence of gas moving off site. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in November 2008.

The 2020 five-year review found the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. Groundwater sampling shows vinyl chloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, iron, and manganese in a few on-site wells at levels slightly above federal and state drinking water standards. Those levels are consistent with past results and show no increasing trend. Human exposure across the entire site is currently under control. However, EPA has insufficient data to determine whether contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, and monitoring will continue to track conditions. The next five-year review was scheduled for 2025, and the most recent review was completed in May 2025. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.