State Plans Another Big Cleanup at Toxic Pasco Landfill

Most of us think of Hanford as having the most waste and hazardous materials in Southeastern Washington. But there's a place about a mile and a half north of Pasco that's not that great either, and many folks are not that aware of it.

This week the Department of Ecology announced plans to tackle another zone of the old Pasco Landfill. The facility, located North of the intersection of Kahlotus Road and Highway 395, opened in 1958 and was the recipient of thousands of barrels and gallons of everything from industrial resin waste to herbicides, to sludge from paper manufacturing.  Divided into Zones A through E (C and D have been combined) the site has been the subject of cleanup efforts for years. It closed for good in 2001.

Now, the DOE wants to tackle Zone A, which contains some 35,000 barrels of solvents, cleaners, paint sludges and other industrial liquids. These 55 gallon barrels would be removed in the latest cleanup effort.

For years officials have feared, and some studies have shown, that hazardous materials from the old Landfill have likely leaked into groundwater sources.  There will be a public hearing for comment on this proposal coming September 17th, 6:30pm at Robinson Elementary in Pasco.

For more on this latest effort, and the history of the landfill, click here.