Snipes Mountain Landfill

The Snipes Mountain Landfill began operation in 1968. Yakima County began operating the facility in 1972 as a municipal solid waste disposal site. The landfill was permitted under Chapter 173-304 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) by the Yakima Health District (YHD) and was closed in 1994. The landfill is unlined. Septage lagoons were operated at the site until May 1991. A waste transfer station remains in operation at the site.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in groundwater at the facility in 1989. Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) have been routinely detected in three monitoring wells and an off-site domestic well since 1989. PCE has been detected in groundwater at concentrations exceeding groundwater quality standards under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). In 2024, Ecology negotiated an Agreed Order to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility at the site.

A remedial investigation work plan has been completed and the investigative work is underway and a feasibility study under an Agreed Order with the property owner is being prepared. A Remedial Investigation (RI) uses data to identify what contamination is present and to see how far it has spread. A Feasibility Study (FS) outlines options to cleanup contamination. The work plan is designed to identify landfill-related hazardous compounds that have been released from the landfill and locate the source of the release. Once the release is more thoroughly understood, a feasibility study can be conducted to determine which solutions are possible. When the draft remedial investigation and feasibility study are complete, they will be available for public review and comment.

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups.

The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps over a variable timeline.

We are committed to providing environmental justice to our most vulnerable communities. It is a priority in our efforts to restore and protect land, air, and water. 

What's In My Neighborhood shows contamination cleanup sites in Washington state. Learn more and subscribe to other cleanup sites. Ecology encourages cleanup of these sites to protect the health of people, plants, and animals. Cleanups are projects that remove, treat, or contain potentially harmful substances. 

To report an environmental problem or concern, any time, day or night, use the online reporting form.

Counties: Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakima

Email: croerts@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: 509-575-2490

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