No asbestos worries expected at Cedar Rapids landfill

Asbestos and other contaminants that may go to the reopened landfill from the Sinclair demolition pose a greater health issue to workers handling the material than to the public, experts say.

Those experts say the southwest Cedar Rapids landfill, known locally as Mount Trashmore, is capable of handling debris from the flood- and fire-damaged Sinclair site. Closed in 2006, the Site 1 landfill, 2250 A St. SW, reopened on an emergency basis to accept debris from the 2008 flood.

Two bidders for the Sinclair demolition suggest taking the former meatpacking plant's debris out of state. The City Council plans to vote today on the contract.

“I don't think it's going to make a bit of difference,” said Karmin McShane, executive

director of the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. “I don't think this little pile of waste on top is going to change the big picture on this huge mound.”

McShane noted that at one time, even chemicals were allowed to be dumped in the landfill, and no one is sure exactly what exists there.

That's why more than 30 monitoring wells are set up throughout the site, she said. Ground water, gas and leachate - liquid waste produced from the garbage - will be monitored for at least 30 years.

McShane said the agency isn't pushing to keep the Sinclair debris at the local landfill.

“It doesn't matter if it's here or in Minnesota or in Illinois,” she said. “You're still responsible for it, and you still have to mitigate if (a pollutant) shows up.”

New Iowa landfills are required to be lined, usually with compacted clay, plastic or a combination, and the 45-year-old landfill is unlined.

Even so, burying the Sinclair debris there should not pose additional health risks if handled properly, said Doug Hawker, senior environmental specialist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Manchester. The office oversees 15 Eastern Iowa counties, including Linn.

Hawker said the wood, brick and concrete that could go to the landfill from Sinclair are less apt to create a hazard than the organic material through which leachate is created. Leachate could pose a threat to ground water or the nearby Cedar River.

Because all material from the Sinclair site will be treated as if it contains asbestos, certain precautions are required.

The demolition crew will need to wet the debris at the site, cover it during transport and bury it immediately with soil at the landfill, so asbestos fibers cannot become airborne.

Asbestos is not generally a water pollution problem; it's an air problem, Hawker said.

“The big health issue is when you breathe it in,” he said.

That puts demolition crews and landfill workers most at risk.

McShane said records are kept of where asbestos-contaminated debris is dumped to help in monitoring.

Hawker said the DNR will check on the Sinclair demolition but will not have an inspector on site. The DNR will rely on the expertise of the company hired for demolition and landfill personnel to identify and handle any contaminants, he said.

Allan Rickard, 70, who has lived nearby on C Street SW for 30 years, said he trusts that the landfill will handle the material appropriately.

Melody Morgan, 37, isn't as trusting. Morgan, who has lived in a neighboring apartment complex for 10 years, said debris remained exposed for a long time on top of the landfill after the flood, creating a stench.

“You couldn't even open your windows because of the smell,” she said.