Background

The 93-acre Heleva Landfill Site is located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Open-pit iron ore mining operations in the late 1800s left four open, water-filled pits at the site. In 1967, the site owner operated a sanitary landfill on 26 acres of the site. The landfill accepted general mixed refuse and industrial wastes, including solvents. The landfill closed in 1981 and the landfill operators placed a two-foot layer of clay over the wastes. These activities contaminated soil and groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The site was added to the Superfund program's National Priorities List on September 8, 1983. Following cleanup, ...
Continue reading background »