State orders more excavation as rotten egg odor persists at Galena landfill

GALENA, Kan. — State environmental regulators have ordered additional excavation at the Galena Construction and Demolition Landfill after inspectors found an underground smoldering event had not been fully extinguished.

In a July 2 letter to Galena residents, state Sen. Tim Shallenburger said the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) found “a limited amount of smoldering” when inspectors visited the landfill on June 24 to verify work completed by operator Jordan Disposal.

The company had been directed to excavate and extinguish the underground smoldering by June 19. Although they certified the work was complete, KDHE authorized an additional six hours of excavation and gave the company until July 3 to eliminate the remaining hot spots.

Once excavation is complete, KDHE has instructed Jordan Disposal to place one foot of topsoil over the affected area under an approved remediation plan.

The agency has also prohibited the company from placing additional waste in that section of the landfill without state approval, while continuing to monitor the site for hydrogen sulfide gas, according to Shallenburger’s letter.

The landfill has been under increased scrutiny this year after residents reported persistent rotten-egg odors linked to hydrogen sulfide gas and smoke from a subsurface smoldering event.

Residents living near the landfill have voiced concerns about potential health effects, declining property values and the lack of long-term solutions.

The landfill, owned by the City of Galena and operated by Jordan Disposal, was originally permitted in 1997 as a construction and demolition landfill.

It expanded significantly after the 2011 Joplin tornado to accept disaster debris from the storm cleanup. KDHE says the landfill remains in compliance with its solid waste permit despite the ongoing smoldering event.

According to KDHE, the underground fire is believed to be contributing to hydrogen sulfide emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has twice assisted the state with air monitoring, most recently in March. EPA detected low levels of volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide near the smoldering area but found no contaminants above action levels at the landfill perimeter or in surrounding neighborhoods.