Field Office Compliance - Assistance

Assistance ID - 65901
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
12/31/2013 Rob Weiss called me on 30DEC13 and stated that he worked at the Fort Dodge Landfill. Last week one 20 cubic yard load of soil which had been contaminated with anhydrous ammonia came into the landfill from the Koch facility in Duncombe. Mr. Weiss indicated that he had been directed to put the soil in the working face and not put it in the contaminated soil area. He further indicated that while spreading the soil he had been nearly overcome with anhydrous fumes and had then gone to the hospital. He is now in some kind of dispute with the landfill and fears he might be fired, and former landfill employee Mike Grell advised him to call me to report on the incident. Mr. Weiss asked me if it was allowed to bury the ammonia-impacted soil at the landfill when he thought it should go the to contaminated soil area to “vent”. I explained that the contaminated soil area was primarily for petroleum impacted soil and that ammonia-impacted soil does not have the same requirements that apply to petroleum contaminated soil. I further indicated that the waste generator (Koch) was required to certify the waste characterization and the landfill could, but was not required to, make the generator test the soil to prove the characterization certification was accurate. I suggested that, unless there was something about the waste stream of which I was unaware, the landfill was allowed to dispose of the ammonia-impacted soil with the ordinary solid waste. Mr. Weiss explained his health symptoms to me in some detail and I suggested that, if he felt he had sustained a work-related injury, he had the option of contacting OSHA. DAVID MILLER
State of Iowa DNR Home Site Policy
Leading Iowans in caring for our natural resources
Version: 2.3.2.24780