The Doepke Disposal site covers about 80 acres on the southern bluffs of the Kansas River in Holliday, Johnson County, Kansas. It operated as a municipal and industrial waste landfill from January 1952 to September 1970, accepting residential trash, fiberglass, paint sludges, used solvents, metal tailings, soaps, pesticides, and petroleum refinery wastes. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on September 8, 1983, which placed it in the federal Superfund program for investigation and cleanup. Waste Management currently owns the property.
Ten contaminants of concern have been identified, found in soil and liquid waste. They include 1,1-dichloroethene, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, three aroclor compounds (PCBs), benzo[a]pyrene, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, chromium, lead, and xylene. Broader categories of concern in groundwater include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals. Pesticides and PCBs were removed from the groundwater sampling program in 1999 after seven years of data showed them at very low or undetectable levels.
The U.S. EPA selected a cleanup remedy in September 1989. That remedy called for an impermeable multi-layer cap over the waste disposal area, combined with long-term groundwater monitoring. The cap was constructed and completed July 16, 1996. Deed restrictions and access limitations were recorded with the Johnson County Register of Deeds on June 19, 1996. Fences and 24-hour security provided by Waste Management staff control access to the property. Construction of all remedial activities was fully completed by September 29, 1997, and the site was declared ready for anticipated reuse in June 2006.
The site's current status is stable. The cap is maintained in excellent condition through twice-yearly inspections and mowing. Annual seep and groundwater sampling continues, and over the past 10 years, contaminant levels have remained stable with no clear trends. The sixth five-year review, completed December 1, 2025, confirmed that the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment. EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site has not yet been deleted from the NPL.
Community members can join the site mailing list to receive updates and learn about future participation opportunities. Two assistance programs are available. The Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program provides free independent help from EPA-contracted scientists and engineers to explain environmental science and EPA actions. Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) offer up to $50,000 to qualified community groups to hire their own technical advisors. Public records related to the site are available at the Monticello Library in Shawnee, Kansas, and through EPA's online document system.
