Field Office Compliance - Assistance

Assistance ID - 62351
North Central Iowa Regional Sanitary Landfill - 310204356
2150 South 22nd Street Fort Dodge, IA 50501
Webster County

FO 2

Report
File Name File Type File Date Note
Comments
7/25/2013 Jack Brady from Webster County Public Health called on 23AUG13 to discuss the allegations of health complaints related to landfill leachate odors in the Coleman area sewers. He suggested that if the alleged health symptoms (headache, skin irritation) were related to the leachate odor, then the specific analytes causing the symptoms should be measurable. Mr. Brady asked if DNR had any air testing equipment such as a hydrocarbon meter or a methane meter. I indicated that the DNR Field Office has a LEL/O2/H2S meter, which was likely similar to that used by Fort Dodge HazMat during their assessment, but no other equipment of this type. I commented that, if he could find one, a photoionization detector (PID) would detect volatile organic compounds, but methane has a high ionization potential and the PID would need a special bulb to detect methane. I also suggested that, even if this equipment was available, it would not provide a qualitative test and one would still not know what, specifically, was being detected, if indeed anything registered at all. Further, a negative reading from a PID would not conclusively demonstrate that there were no analytes of concern in the complainant’s homes. Mr. Brady indicated that it might be more practical to ask the affected parties to seek medical attention and absent themselves from the area to determine if their symptoms abated in a different environment. I also suggested that Mr. Brady contact Fort Dodge Public Works Director Greg Koch, because it was my understanding that the City was pursuing this matter to determine the cause and remedy. DAVID MILLER
State of Iowa DNR Home Site Policy
Leading Iowans in caring for our natural resources
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