| Abstract |
The Hassayampa Landfill site is a 10-acre area of a 47-acre municipal landfill that was previously used for hazardous waste disposal. Land use in the area is predominantly desert and is sparsely cultivated. The Hassayampa Landfill lies within the Hassayampa River drainage area, but outside of the 100-year floodplain. The estimated 1,100 people who reside within a 3-mile radius of the site use the aquifer underlying the site for their drinking water. From 1961 to the present, the Maricopa County Landfill Department owned and operated the site. Waste disposed of at the landfill consisted chiefly of municipal garbage, tree trimmings, and other plant refuse. In 1979, the state requested that Hassayampa Landfill accept hazardous waste as an alternate waste disposal site during a prohibition at City of Phoenix landfills. In the 18 months that the landfill accepted hazardous waste, up to 3.28 million tons of liquid waste and approximately 4,150 tons of solid waste were deposited. |
