Re: dioxin in leachate from ashfills?

["The Right To Know Project - Ketchikan" <rtkp@ptialaska.net>]

On         Sat, 8 Jun 1996 14:05:53 -0400 (EDT)
	  twebster@bu.edu
	wrote:
>         Does anyone have any information on dioxin in leachate from
> ashfills?  Granted this dioxin is pretty insoluble in water, but it might
> convievably be attached to suspended solids.
> 
> 
--------------------------------------------------- 

We have some info that might be relavent to your question. 

Ketchikan Pulp Company (L-P subsidiary) is a sulfite mill in SE
Alaska.  Over the last yea5r it has been under environmental scrutiny
for many and diverse violations of air and water standards.  The solid
waste landfills are repository for fly and boiler ash, as well as
decayed Hog fuel and dredgings from the highly contaminated Ward Cove.
 
 We have samples from the landfill leachate showing non-detects of
 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF with detection limit of 1-3 pg/L.  Note
 these do NOT include cogeners.  And thanks to the reliablilty of self
 monitoring by a company (and individuals) recently convicted of a
 felony under the Clean Water Act  I wouldn't want to trust these
 results too far..... We also have fly-ash dioxin results from both
 KPC and Alaska Pulp. in Sitka. 

One subject of interest that perhaps
 someone might help on is the rumor that I heard concerning the
 presence of Toluene and Benzene in leachate.  Do these chemicals act
 as solvents for TCDD/TCDF?  We do show toluene in the leachate. 
 
Another question is landfill design.  In Ketchikan we get 152"
 rain/year.  Lots'a leachate!!!  The mill apparently layered hog fuel
 and fly ash.  Now they are covering the whole mess up with dredgings
 laced with methyl-mercury and more Dioxin!!  Add a few hundred acre 
feet of waqter and stir!    Sound like a superfund in the making?? 

 EPA say's they're doing fine.

Regards, 	Eric Hummel  
 		 rtkp@ptialaska.net