Yet another example of business as usual. The lackadaisical attitude of the Department of Ecology and the Health Department regarding this dump becomes apparent every time a problem arises.Please call or e-mail these agencies and voice your concerns about this latest development.
DOE PCHD
The News Tribune
Tests revealed traces of a volatile methane-like gas underneath the Pierce County landfill near Graham, but officials said Friday it poses no threat to public health.
Steve Marek, public health manager with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, said routine tests in December showed contamination in the leak detection area - a layer of gravel below the landfill's containment liner.
"At these levels that we're finding there is no public health concern with them," Marek said. "At higher levels they could pose more of a problem with explosions and being ignited, but those levels haven't been found in the ... collection system."
Marek said Health Department officials waited until Friday to release the information so they could confirm the results with more tests. Officials are still unsure how the gas got into the leak detection area, Marek said.
Those who live near the landfill have been concerned that garbage-contaminated water will seep into the groundwater. Marek said that isn't the case with the contamination found in December.
When garbage decomposes it creates gas, Marek said, and most landfills have a system that extracts the gas and burns it off.
Landfill Recovery Inc., the company that operates the landfill, did plan on installing such a system, Marek said. He said health department and LRI officials plan to meet next week to figure out how to install that system sooner.