EPA v. SOUTH 8TH STREET LANDFILL (AKA WEST MEMPHIS LANDFILL)

Case summary

THE SOUTH 8TH STREET LANDFILL SITE ( SITE ) IS LOCATED AD- JACENT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN WEST MEMPHIS, CRITTENDEN COUNTY, ARKANSAS. THE SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 ACRES, SITUA- TED IN THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD PLAIN BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE ST. FRANCIS LEVEE AND IS SUB-DIVIDED INTO 3 SEPARATE DISPOS- AL AREAS, INCLUDING ONE AREA CONTAINING AN OILY SLUDGE PIT. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS INDICATE THAT THE SITE WAS USED FIRST AS A SERIES OF BORROW PITS AND SUBSEQUENTLY FOR THE DISPOSAL OF WASTE AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS. MOST OF THE EARLY DISPOSAL AC- TIVITIES AT THE SITE APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON AN AP- PROXIMATELY 2.61 ACRE PARCEL. THE WASTE IN THE OILY SLUDGE PIT HAS PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES WHICH ARE CONSIST- ENT WITH WASTE ASSOCIATED WITH WASTE OIL RECLAMATION PRO- CESSES. AFFIDAVITS AND DEPOSITIONS TESTIMONY OF FORMER GURLEY REFIN- ING COMPANY (GRC) EMPLOYEES INDICATE THAT GRC USED THE SITE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF WASTE SLUDGES GENERATED DURING THE USED OIL RE-FINING PROCESS CONDUCTED AT THE GRC FACILITY LOCATED ON THE LAND SITE OF THE ST. FRANCIS LEVEE JUST WEST OF THE SITE. GRC'S RE-FINING OPERATION USED WASTE OIL (SOMETIMES MIXED WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES) IT OBTAINED FROM VARIOUS ENTIT- IES LOCATED IN THE TRI-STATE AREA (ARK., MS., & TN). GRC'S RE-FINING PROCESS UTILIZED AN ACID/CLAY RECLAMATION PROCESS THAT INVOLVED ADDING ACID TO THE WASTE OIL BEING RE- FINED. THE ACID CAUSED THE HEAVY ENDS TO PRECIPITATE OUT OF THE WASTE OIL AND SETTLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PROCESSING TANKS, WHERE THE SLUDGES THEN WERE REMOVED AND EVENTUALLY PLACED AT THE SITE. THERE WERE OTHER STEPS IN THE PROCESS THAT GENERTAED WASTE WHICH WAS ALSO COLLECTED AND DEPOSITED IN THE PIT AT THE SITE. THE PROPOSED DEFENDANTS AT THE SITE INCLUDE GRC, WILLIAM M. GURLEY, WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF GRC (AND APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN GRC'S OPERATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISPOSAL OF SLUDGES AT THE SITE), OWNERS OF THE CONTAMINATED PROPERTY, CORPORATE SUCCESSORS TO GHC, AND OTHER COMPANIES THAT GENERATED WASTE THAT ENDED UP AT THE SITE, AND VARIOUS ENTITIES (INCLUDING MUNICIPAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ENTITIES) THAT CONTRIBUTED WASTE OIL AND OTHER SUB- STANCES THAT WERE UTILIZED IN GRC'S RE-REFINING PROCESS.

Defendants (1)

• GURLEY, W.M.Named in complaint

Facilities (1)

• SOUTH 8TH STREET LANDFILL

  SOUTH EIGHTH STREET, WEST MEMPHIS, AR, 72301

  Registry ID: 110009332025

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 104A — CERCLA 104(a)

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 1992-05-22Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1992-06-02Enforcement Action Data Entered