heleva landfill

GARAGE HILL ST

The Heleva Landfill Site in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania consists of about 26 acres on a 93-acre parcel of land. In the late 1800s, the Site area was a large open-pit iron ore mining operation. The mining operations left four open, water-filled pits. Two of these pits are on site and both were covered over by a land filling operation. The Site began operations as a sanitary landfill in 1967 and accepted general mixed refuse, including paper, wood, and orchard wastes. Unconfirmed types and amounts of industrial wastes, including solvents, were reported to have been sent to the site beginning in that same year. Detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical components of solvents and degreasers, in the West Ormrod Water Association Well, a quarter mile southeast of the Site, led to closing the well. The landfill was closed in 1981, and the owner covered the waste area with two feet of clay soil. Ground water discharges from the landfill flow into Coplay Creek, and Whitehall Quarry, both of which are used for recreational purposes. The area within a three-mile radius of the landfill is primarily rural, with the greatest portion being farmland and pastures. A large percentage of the population around the site live in small residential communities that pocket the area. Ormrod, a village of approximately 35 families, is located about a quarter mile southeast of the Site. Ironton, with a population of 150 residents, is a quarter mile to the west. An elementary school is located about 1,500 feet south of the Site. The ground water is contaminated with VOCs from former Site activities. On-site soils also are contaminated with VOCs. People who come into direct contact with or accidentally swallow contaminated ground water or soil may be at risk. Site Responsibility Cleanup of this Site is the responsibility of the federal government and parties potentially responsible for site contamination.

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