Tenth Street Dump/Junkyard

Overview

The Tenth Street Dump/Junkyard is a 3.5-acre former salvage yard, city landfill, and automobile junkyard in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1987 and deleted in 2000 after cleanup goals were achieved. The site is privately owned and sits in a mixed residential and industrial area, surrounded on three sides by active automobile salvage yards.

The contaminants of concern are all forms of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), specifically Aroclor 1242, Aroclor 1254, and Aroclor 1260, found in surface and subsurface soils. The contaminated soil reached to about three feet above the water table at its deepest point. Testing found no PCBs or other contaminants in groundwater or surface water samples.

Cleanup happened in two phases. Between 1985 and 1987, the EPA removed hazardous equipment and drums, consolidated contaminated soils, and installed a temporary clay cap and fence. The long-term remedy, completed in 1996, involved excavating contaminated soil and building a permanent impermeable cap over roughly 9,800 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated material. The cap blocks direct contact with the soil below and prevents rainwater from carrying contaminants into groundwater. Groundwater monitoring wells were plugged in 2009 after testing confirmed no groundwater contamination. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) has handled operation and maintenance since January 1996, including annual inspections, mowing, and managing erosion, settlement, and standing water.

A deed notice placed in 2006 restricts the site to industrial use. Zoning restrictions prevent residential use and other activities that are not consistent with the cleanup level. The EPA completed the sixth five-year review in December 2025, confirming the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment in the short term. The seventh five-year review is scheduled to begin in 2029 and be completed by December 2030, with ODEQ leading that effort. An Explanation of Significant Differences is estimated to be completed between December 2027 and February 2028.

Community members can participate in the next five-year review process. A public notice will be published in a local newspaper, and both the EPA and ODEQ welcome community feedback. To get involved or share concerns, contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact ODEQ. Site records are available for public viewing at the Ralph Ellison Library at 2000 NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City.