Doepke Disposal is an 80 acre site in Holliday that operated as a private industrial and commercial landfill between 1963 and 1970. During this time the landfill accepted unknown quantities of various wastes that include fiberglass resins, metal sludges containing unspecified heavy metals, solvents, pesticide and paint sludges. Many of the wastes within this site were burned and buried in the early 1960s and liquids were stored in ponds on the site. 374 drums of various solvents and pesticides were buried with county approval in 1966. Liquids are now seeping from the site and flowing through a culvert into the Kansas River. Drinking water for Johnson County is provided from a river intake about 3/4 mile downstream on the Kansas River from the site. As well, about 30 wells are located within 1/2 to 3 miles of the site. (10, 11, 12)

Contaminants found on the site include: pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Examples of heavy metals are discussed on the Cherokee County site page and the Fort Riley site page. (10, 11, 12)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are double bonded aromatic rings with two of more chlorine substituents. They can be found in the environment in mixtures of up to 209 different chlorinated biphenyls. The greater number of chlorine atoms found on the biphenyl the more difficult it is to transform or biodegrade. PCBs will strongly bind to soil particles, where they can remain for several years, and stick to organic particles and sediments in surface waters. In the air they can travel for long distances. Generally PCBs will remain in the environment for long periods of time as they do not break down readily, the degredation process can take up to decades. Bioaccumulation and inhalation of PCBs are two of the possibilities of human exposure. It has been determined by the Department of Health and Human Services that PCBs may be anticipated carcinogens. (19, 20, 21)

PAHs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are often formed as a result of the incomplete burning of organic substances, which can result in over 100 different chemicals. Able to readily evaporate from soil or water, once in the air PAHs can be attached to dust particles. There they can be broken down by UV light and the presence of other chemicals, which can occur over a period of days to weeks. In the soil they can be broken down by some microorganism over a period of weeks to months. PAHs tend to bind tightly to particles, although certain PAHs will move through the soil profile to contaminate groundwater. Some PAHs have been determined to be human carcinogens. (19, 20, 21)

Liquid contaminants that were ponded onsite were removed and treated offsite and an impermeable multi-layer cap was constructed over a majority of the waste disposal area of the site. (10, 12)