2    REMEDIAL ACTION CASE HISTORY:
FOREST WASTE SITE LAGOONS
James B. Russell, Geotechnical Engineer
CH2M HILL
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
INTRODUCTION
The process of cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites under CERCLA is often a long and
complicated one. Completing the steps necessary for a site to go from being ranked on the National
Priorities list to being remediated can often take many years, as illustrated by the flow diagram in
Figure 1.
This paper presents the case history of remedial design and remedial action at the Forest Waste site
and discusses the implementation and constructibility issues encountered. The paper concludes with a
summary of lessons learned during remedial design and remediation.
The opinions expressed by this case history do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) or the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR). The EPA will not be bound by any assertions or conclusions in this document.
BACKGROUND
Site Description
The Forest Waste site is in Genesee County, Michigan, about 12 miles north of the City of Flint.
The 112-acre property includes a landfill covering about 11 acres and nine surface impoundments or
lagoons that cover a collective surface area of about 1 acre. The site was first operated in 1972 as an
industrial landfill and starting in 1973 the lagoons were used for industrial liquids disposal. Landfill
operation and liquids disposal continued until 1978. The site was concurrently operated as an airport
for light aircraft throughout this period.
Remedial Action
A three phase Remedial Investigation (Rl) was performed at the site from June 1984 through April
1987. A phased feasibility study (PFS) addressing the lagoons as a separate operable unit was completed in April 1986. The EPA selected a "clean closure" remedy for the lagoons that required
removing contaminated liquids, sludges, and soil for offsite disposal at a RCRA facility.
CH2M HILL received a Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) work assignment in mid-1987
for the lagoons operable unit. A RD field investigation was performed by CH2M HILL in March and
April 1988 to better described the limits of contamination and to test solidifying reagents and mixing
ratios for contaminated sludges and soils. The final draft design documents, for removing an estimated 80,000 gallons of contaminated liquids and 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated sludge and soil,
were completed in June 1988.
The EPA attached the prepared draft design documents, which included contract plans and specifications, to a unilateral order to a group of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) to complete the RA
work. The PRPs decided to comply with the order and started work through their engineer and
construction manager, Geraghty & Miller, in October 1988. The PRPs substantially completed the RA
in July 1989.
SITE FEATURES, LIMITATIONS, AND CONSTRAINTS
The Forest Waste site is located in a rural area of east central Michigan. The site is generally flat,
except in the lagoon areas where elevated berms were constructed to contain the liquids. Vegetation
45th Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings, © 1991 Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118.
Printed in U.S.A.
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