Coupeville Landfill

The Coupeville Solid Waste Facility contains four, adjoining closed landfills:

• The approximate 3-acre City Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, located on the west side of the landfill area, operated as a burning dump from 1946 to 1969 and as a landfill from 1969 to 1977. The landfill does not have a bottom liner, contains an estimated 10 to 20 feet of waste, and has a soil cover.

• The approximate 11-acre County Municipal Solid Waste Landfill, located on the south side of the landfill area, operated from 1971 to 1992. The landfill was constructed without a landfill liner, which were not required before November 1985. The landfill contains up to 50 feet of municipal solid waste. The landfill was closed with an engineered landfill cover and a landfill gas collection system. The landfill cover includes a 60-mil high-density polyethylene geomembrane, a drainage layer, and a soil cover.

• The approximate 4-acre County Construction Debris Landfill, located on the northeast side of the landfill area, operated from 1992 to 2002. The landfill contains up to 40 feet of construction and demolition waste. The landfill has no bottom liner and has a soil cover consisting of 12 inches of native soil and 12 inches of soil with a high clay content.

• An approximate 1-acre asbestos landfill is located north of the County Municipal Solid Waste Landfill.

The Coupeville Solid Waste Facility also contains a solid waste transfer station, a moderate risk waste handling station, a recycling collection area, a septage biosolids treatment plant and surface impoundment, and various county storage facilities.

Landfill post-closure care is regulated under Chapter 304 Washington Administrative Code. Post-closure care is required until the landfill generates little to no leachate and landfill gas, landfill settlement has stabilized, and groundwater quality criteria have been satisfied.

 Island County Public Works Solid Waste manages post-closure care for the landfill.

Ecology’s Solid Waste Management Program maintains regulatory standards and provides technical assistance to the jurisdictional health departments.

Permitted landfills are potentially subject to the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) if there has been a release of hazardous substances from the landfill. Ecology has not determined that there has been a release from the landfill that is subject to MTCA.

Ecology’s Solid Waste Management Program oversees corrective action at the closed landfill in accordance with the state Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) regulation (Chapter 70A.305 of the Revised Code of Washington and Chapter 173-340 of the WAC).

Ecology develops regulations and guidelines and provides assistance to Island County Public Health. Island County Public Health regulates post-closure care at the closed municipal solid waste landfill under Chapter 173-304 WAC.

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

Counties: Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom
Email: nwroerts@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: 206-594-0000

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