The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor has released a performance audit of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program, revealing a shortfall in the statewide monitoring of former landfill sites.
The Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program was established within the Division of Waste Management in 2007 to identify, assess, and remediate sites that accepted a wide range of waste prior to 1983, when modern environmental regulations weren’t in place. These public and private sites, located near homes, schools, and drinking water sources, could contain hazardous materials that pose health and environmental risks.
Of the 688 identified landfill sites where municipal solid waste disposal occurred without regulatory oversight, 534 (78%) have never been investigated under DEQ’s program. For most of those sites, the State does not yet know what contamination may be present, whether it has spread to nearby properties or water supplies, or whether current conditions pose a risk to nearby residents. More than 80% of the landfill sites are within 1,000 feet of vulnerable areas, including homes, schools, daycares, churches, or drinking water wells.
“The Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program is a complex issue that creates challenges from a regulatory, legal, funding, and administrative standpoint,” said State Auditor Dave Boliek. “But the bottom line is there are hundreds of potentially hazardous landfill sites across North Carolina, and despite tax dollars supporting a program meant to investigate these sites, 78% haven’t been examined. This audit lays out the facts, giving taxpayers a reliable update on a longstanding government issue.”
Program management estimates the average cost to investigate, assess, and remediate a site is approximately $1.9 million. Should that be applied to the remaining sites, the total cost approaches $1 billion. Of the 97 sites that have been investigated since the inception of the Program, DEQ has secured 370 acres of waste, sampled 1,642 water supply wells, and provided alternate water supply to 30 homes.
DEQ’s Division of Waste Management agreed with both the findings and OSA’s recommendations. The audit lists all landfill sites, including risk priority, sites pending access permission, and sites that have been addressed.