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Livingston County Landfill (Howell, Livingston County)

Disclaimer
Web content may not routinely be updated on this page. Please contact the Site Lead for the most up-to-date status of the site.
Content posted August 2020.

EGLE Site Lead

Evin Maguire, MaguireE@Michigan.gov.

Background

Livingston County Landfill is a closed Type 2 municipal solid waste landfill, located on Barron Road, operated by the Livingston County Board of Public Works (LCBPW) from 1972 until its closure in 1989. In the late 1980s volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in residential drinking water and traced back to the landfill. Several remedial investigations have been performed, resulting in regular groundwater monitoring consisting of a network of 33 monitor wells.  Due to historical groundwater contamination, EGLE requested Livingston County to sample select monitor wells for PFAS analysis in April 2019.  A sampling event was completed in May 2019 which discovered PFAS levels in one monitoring well (MW-4S) exceeded EGLE’s Part 201 criteria that went into effect in August 2020. 

Groundwater flow in the vicinity of the contaminated well is to the northeast. There are no known surface water impacts at this time.

Livingston County Landfill Map

Recent Accomplishments

  • On April 9, 2019, EGLE sent a request to Livingston County Department of Public Works to have select monitor wells and landfill leachate sampled for PFAS analysis.
  • On May 23, 2019, Livingston County Landfill’s consultant Tetra Tech, collected six groundwater samples from the requested monitor wells.
  • On June 10, 2019, EGLE received sampling results. PFAS levels in one monitoring well (MW-4S) were found to exceed Part 201 criteria that went into effect August 2020.  The concentration of PFOA was 9 ppt and non-detect for PFOS.
  • On October 31, 2019, Tetra Tech completed sampling of 14 residential wells for PFAS.
  • On November 27, 2019, EGLE received residential well test results. No results exceeded the drinking water standard for PFAS compounds.

Next Steps

  • EGLE will discuss with Livingston County officials the possibility of routine monitoring for PFAS at the landfill and select residential wells.

Residential Well Testing/Alternate Water Information

  • 14 nearby residential wells were sampled, no result exceeded the drinking water standards for PFAS compounds.
  • EGLE will coordinate with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health departments regarding any additional residential well sampling.

Upcoming Community Engagement

  • None scheduled at this time.

Sampling Results Summary: PFOS and PFOA Only

Type of Sample

Date Sampled (or Range)

Number of Sample Results Received

Number of Samples above Criteria*

Residential Wells

October 31, 2019 - November 5, 2021 14 0
Groundwater May 23, 2019 - May 26, 2021 7 2

*Residential well results are compared to Part 201 Criteria of PFOS 16 ppt and PFOA 8 ppt.
*Groundwater results are compared to EGLE Part 201 Criteria of 70 ppt PFOS+PFOA.

Sampling Notes

  • None at this time.
 

Historical Timeline

    • On April 9, 2019, EGLE sent a request to Livingston County Department of Public Works to have select monitor wells and landfill leachate sampled for PFAS analysis.
    • On May 23, 2019, Livingston County Landfill’s consultant Tetra Tech, collected six groundwater samples from the requested monitor wells.
    • On June 10, 2019, EGLE received sampling results. PFAS levels in one monitoring well (MW-4S) were found to exceed Part 201 criteria that went into effect August 2020.  The concentration of PFOA was 9 ppt and non-detect for PFOS.
    • On October 31, 2019, Tetra Tech completed sampling of 14 residential wells for PFAS.
    • On November 27, 2019, EGLE received residential well test results. No results exceeded the drinking water standard for PFAS compounds.