Anderson Landfill

The DTG-Anderson Landfill began operation in 1997 as a construction and demolition debris landfill. The site was originally owned by Ron Anderson and was known as the Anderson Landfill. This facility was originally permitted under Chapter 173-304 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) by the Yakima Health District (YHD).

In 2007, following promulgation of Chapter 173-350 WAC, the facility obtained a permit from YHD for the operation of a Limited Purpose Landfill (LPL). The original LPL permit was issued in 2007 and authorized a 61-acre landfill footprint.

In 2015, YHD issued a permit modification that authorized expansion of the landfill footprint to 125 acres. The permitted facility design did not include a liner.

In 2019, the facility was purchased by DTG-Recycle, Inc., a subsidiary of DTG Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

In 2023, the waste footprint was approximately 25 acres. This area is referred to as “Phase 1” of the landfill. In consultation with Ecology, YHD determined that the unlined landfill design was not protective of human health and the environment and therefore did not meet the requirements of WAC 173-350. YHD has required all additional phases of the landfill to be designed and constructed with a liner.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in ambient air and in landfill gas at the facility in December 2021 and confirmed in July 2022. Benzene and naphthalene were detected in ambient air at concentrations exceeding outdoor air quality standards under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

In 2023, Ecology and the two parties responsible for cleanup, East Mountain Investments, Inc. and DTG Enterprises, Inc. negotiated an agreed order for cleanup work at the site. An Agreed Order is a legal agreement between Ecology and the Potentially Liable Persons (PLPs) outlining the expectations, process, and schedule for site cleanup. The order requires delineation of hazardous compounds in gas originating in the waste in Phase 1 of the landfill and groundwater monitoring to identify if hazardous compounds have reached groundwater.

In March 2023, contractors working for DTG identified temperatures greater than 500º F at a depth of 10 feet below the landfill’s surface. These high temperatures as well as gas readings collected from within the landfill indicate fire beneath the surface. Additional investigation in September 2023 and subsequent gas monitoring identified high temperatures and gas readings that indicate a fire that extends from a depth of approximately 10 feet to at least 40 feet below the landfill’s surface. 

DTG completed construction of a soil cap in the fire area in late 2023. Weekly monitoring of temperature and gases within the waste in the vicinity of the fire has continued. Ecology's analysis of the recorded data has concluded that the soil cap has reduced emission of gases to the atmosphere but has been ineffective in extinguishing the fire.

In 2024, DTG completed installation of six new wells. Geologic information gathered during drilling is being used to update the conceptual hydrogeologic model for the site. Groundwater samples from these wells are being analyzed for a number of chemicals associated with landfill leachate and combustion byproducts including metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Data collected to date confirms the presence of elevated concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a PFAS compound, and nitrate in monitoring wells adjacent to the unlined landfill. Additional wells will be installed to further characterize the nature and extent of groundwater impacts.

DTG is implementing a site investigation work plan designed to fully delineate the nature and extent of the subsurface fire and groundwater contamination. This work includes installation of four thermistors on the west flank of Phase 1 of the landfill and the installation of two monitoring wells. The monitoring wells will be installed in the uppermost aquifer to the north and east of Phase 1. Data from the thermistors and wells will be analyzed to determine the next steps in the investigation/cleanup process.