Colbert Landfill

22515 N Elk Chattaroy Rd Spokane, Spokane County
Facility Site ID: 110 Cleanup Site ID: 3035

Related Information

More about cleanup

Landfill History

The Colbert Landfill Superfund site is a closed, 40-acre, municipal solid waste landfill about 15 miles north of Spokane and about 2.5 miles north of Colbert. The landfill received waste from 1968 to 1986 when it was filled to capacity.

Groundwater around the landfill was found to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds. In 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the landfill to the National Priorities List.

Cleanup

The cleanup actions include:
  • An available alternate water supply for residential wells contaminated by the landfill
  • Institutional controls
  • A pump-and-treat system to capture and prevent further spread of groundwater contaminants
  • Monitoring of contaminants to protect human health and the environment

The pump-and-treat system was completed in 1994 and operated successfully for 20 years.

In 2014, the EPA recommended the pump-and-treat system be shutdown to determine if it was continuing to benefit the cleanup. The shutdown test is still ongoing along with groundwater and residential well monitoring and sampling. Recent annual reports can be accessed under the Technical Reports section in the documents below.

Periodic reviews

Because EPA and Ecology jointly regulate the Colbert Landfill, we work together to make sure that periodic reviews are conducted about every five years. The most recent periodic review for the Colbert Landfill can be found on EPA’s website.

Site use restrictions called institutional controls are in effect

Institutional controls can be fences, signs, or restrictions on how the property is used. For instance, an institutional control may prohibit installing drinking water wells or disturbing a protective cap that isolates contamination. These restrictions keep the contamination contained and keep people from being exposed to the contamination. The controls are usually listed in environmental covenants recorded with the county.

Periodic reviews are required when institutional controls are required at a site. Ecology conducts reviews to make sure the controls remain effective and the cleanup still protects human health and the environment. We conduct periodic reviews about every five years.

Environmental Covenant

County Recording #: 5834462
County Recording Date: 9/16/2009

Restrictions/Requirements

  • Control Stormwater
  • Control Vapor/Gas
  • Maintain/Protect Monitoring System
  • Ongoing Maintenance of Remedy
  • Prevent the Reuse or Relocation of Site Soil
  • Prohibit New Building Construction
  • Restrict Access
  • Restrict All Ground Water Extraction/Well Installation
  • Restrict Land Use
  • Restrictive Signage

Restricted Media

  • Groundwater
  • Soil
Places to see print documents
Legal 4
Document Title Document Date Document Type
Colbert Landfill Property Restrictive Covenant 9/16/2009 Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism
Colbert Landfill - Agreed Order 2/17/1993 Agreed Order
Colbert Landfill - Consent Decree 9/30/1989 Consent Decree
Colbert Landfill - Consent Decree 2/28/1989 Consent Decree
Technical Reports 13
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.

Places to see print documents

  • Eastern Regional Office
    N 4601 Monroe St
    Spokane, 99205-1265
    Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.

Contaminants 1

Contaminant Type
Soil
Groundwater
Surface Water
Air
Sediment
Bedrock
Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics C C
S
Suspected
C
Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
B
Below Cleanup Levels
RA
Remediated-Above
RB
Remediated-Below
R
Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.