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During a workshop meeting on October 4, Waste Management Groundwater Protection Program Senior Director Terry Johnson presented an overview of groundwater investigations that led to corrective actions at the Elk River Landfill. Groundwater has been monitored at the site three times a year for more than 35 years through a variety of methods, which includes borings and well samplings.
The contamination mainly consists of vinyl chloride, which federal law requires to be 2 parts per billion or lower. Minnesota law, however, requires vinyl chloride contamination to be 0.2 parts per billion or lower. Terry Johnson said the contamination at the Elk River Landfill doesn’t meet the federal limit for contamination but does meet Minnesota’s limit.
There are several ways to attempt to limit groundwater contamination from the unlined portion of the landfill, including putting a liner over the top to prevent water going through the site and putting in gas collection to pull out contaminants, both of which Waste Management has already done according to Terry Johnson. Another option is for Waste Management could pump groundwater out, treat it and put it somewhere else.