Lee's Lane Landfill Louisville, KY
Documenting the history and status of Lee's Lane Landfill and surrounding areas
Welcome to the Lee's Lane Landfill Storymap. This storymap provides a brief history of Lee's Lane Landfill in Louisville, KY and information about its current condition. In addition, we include information about the surrounding residential and industrial areas. We focus on the residential areas of Riverside Gardens and Lake Dreamland along with active and former industrial properties in close proximity.
Riverside Gardens
Riverside Gardens. Click to expand.
The residential community of Riverside Gardens was developed in 1926, featuring residential lots and homes as well as a beachfront clubhouse. For the next decade, the resort area was a prime location for various events held by Louisville's businesses, schools, and social circles. Special events such as swimming meets and horseshoe tournaments were also held at the clubhouse in addition to the everyday offerings of swimming, fishing, and boating. Although the community was damaged by the Great Flood of 1937, Riverside Gardens recovered and continued to offer entertainment, but this changed when America entered WWII. The development of Rubbertown to the north lead to pollution and hazards that negatively impacted the community, and the clubhouse was soon closed. In 1948, the land along the riverfront was transitioned into a landfill which came to be called the Lee's Lane Landfill. Today, residents of Riverside Gardens continue to report pollution and what they believe to be exposure-related health issues with little attention from the city of Louisville.
Lee's Lane Landfill
Lee's Lane Landfill. Click to expand.
The Lee’s Lane Landfill is located in western Louisville, KY along the Ohio River. The site was used as a quarry in the 1940s before being repurposed as a landfill from 1948 to 1975. At least 212,400 tons of municipal and industrial waste were disposed of in the landfill during this period. In 1980, the Kentucky Department of Hazardous Materials and Waste Management discovered approximately 400 drums of hazardous waste within the landfill; these drums were removed by the landfill owners in the fall of 1981, but the remaining drums of non-hazardous material, as well as any empty drums, were buried in place on the landfill. The buried and capped landfill waste covers an area of 112 acres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Lee’s Lane Landfill site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup efforts concluded in 1988 and monitoring of the site has continued since.
Lake Dreamland
Lake Dreamland. Click to expand.
Lake Dreamland was developed in 1931 when farmer Ed Hartlage dammed a creek on his riverfront farmland to create a lake. The lake and the surrounding area became another summer resort location, with cabins and activities planned to attract vacationers from Louisville throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Like Riverside Gardens, Lake Dreamland recovered from the damage of the Great Flood of 1937 but was also similarly impacted by the pollution from Rubbertown. Hartlage repurposed many of the summer vacation cabins as residential housing for Rubbertown workers when the appeal as a vacation destination began to wane, but flood and weather damage and the lack of public works plagued these homes, resulting in poor living conditions. In the 1960s, Hartlage converted a dairy barn at Lake Dreamland into Club El Rancho, a tavern and dance club that claimed to be the first spot to bring rock 'n roll to Louisville, in an attempt to regain popularity, but the destruction of the club in 1967 ended Hartlage's enterprise. Over time, leaks and spills from the nearby manufacturing plants caused further issues for residents, and these issues still persist today, with little notice from the city of Louisville.
Cane Run Generating Station
Cane Run Generating Station. Click to expand.
The Cane Run Generating Station is a 640-megawatt natural gas power plant owned and operated by the Louisville Gas and Electric Company that acts as the primary power generating unit for Jefferson County. Between 1954 and 2015, Cane Run was an operational coal power plant with seven generating plants. Because of increasingly strict coal power regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and lawsuits regarding the dispersion of coal ash, the coal power operations were retired, and some of the coal generating plants were demolished in June of 2019. In its heyday, the Cane Run Coal Plants generated nearly 1,000 megawatts of power and employed over 500 people. In 1973, the Cane Run plant installed one of the first scrubbers in the United States, which acted as an environmental control by removing sulfur dioxide generated through the burning of coal. At the time, this was seen as a win for environmentalists and even led to the plant being visited by President Carter so that he could see the scrubbers in action (Louisville Gas and Electric Company 2020). Residents near Cane Run continue to fight for monetary assistance to cope with the lasting effects of coal ash on nearby properties and residents (Rust 2018). For the Louisville Gas and Electric Company, the Cane Run Generating Station represents “decades of reliable energy production, pioneering environmental technology, cutting-edge generation and the dedication of hard-working LG&E employees” (Louisville Gas and Electric Company 2020).
Hexion
Hexion. Click to expand.
Hexion is one of the many chemical companies with plants located in Rubbertown. Their Louisville plant produces thermoset resins that are used in adhesives. Hexion describes their work as “responsible chemistry” because of their ongoing commitment to safe manufacturing and community involvement (Hexion 2020). In 2020, Hexion was awarded the American Chemical Council’s Responsible Care Award, which distinguished the Louisville plant for their work towards improving facility safety, noting their efforts in waste minimization and energy efficiency (Business Wire 2020). This, however, comes after Louisville air pollution regulators issued more $100,000 in fines for 2019 incidences at the plant that placed workers and nearby residents in danger. During 2019, Hexion was found to have had fifty events that resulted in excess chemical emissions. These emission events tended to occur regarding the emission of methanol and formaldehyde, both of which have serious environmental and health consequences. In Louisville, air pollution regulators noted that the frequency of these emissions events demonstrates ongoing operational issues at the Hexion plant, especially compared to neighboring factories that have not had this volume of repeated failures (Van Velzer 2019). Hexion, however, continues to focus on its “commitment to operate its facilities in full compliance with all regulations and in a safe and environmentally responsible manner” (Hexion 2020).
Atkemix Ten
Atkemix Ten. Click to expand.
Stauffer Chemical Company previously operated the Atkemix Ten site as an organic chemical manufacturing plant. The plant was built in 1953 and was active until 1983. The plant produced various chemical compounds, including tetrachloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, anhydrous hydrogen chloride, muriatic acid, chloroform, and methylene chloride. In the 1960s, the site opened an additional facility for recycling methyl chloride. Following the closure of the plant, the facilities were demolished in the mid-1980s. The EPA has identified both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) present at the site both in the groundwater and the soil caused by the disposal of chemical by-products on site. These VOCs and SVOCs are associated with adverse health outcomes and are considered carcinogens (Pacholik 2019). The site continues to be monitored by federal and state regulators and is still being cleaned up (EPA 2017).
American Synthetic Rubber Company
American Synthetic Rubber Company. Click to expand.
Michelin North America Incorporated owns and operates the American Synthetic Rubber Company factory located in West Louisville. The plant produces synthetic rubbers and liquid polymers associated with tire manufacturing and space shuttle propellants for NASA (Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet 2016). The plant has been fined by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control Board due to the unlawful release of 1,3-butadiene. This compound is carcinogenic and has severe impacts on the health of those who inhale the compound. The plant violated emission standards off and on for nearly a decade without notifying reprimand. Since the last significant fine against the company in 2017, it has successfully reduced 1,3-butadiene emissions and worked more stringently to monitor and report any excess emissions (Kobin 2019).
Rubbertown Community Advisory Council
Rubbertown Community Advisory Council. Click to expand.
The American Chemical Council’s Responsible Care program led to the founding of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council in 1991 as a means for discussing safety, health, and environmental concerns surrounding industrial chemical operations. The goal of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council is to create and perpetuate mutual trust between these chemical companies and the community in which they are located in hopes of improving the wellbeing of the area. Currently, twelve companies are members of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council. There are also community members ranging from residents to the Metro Police, Metro Air Pollution Control District, Metro Health Department, and the University of Louisville. This council allows companies to share information about the health and safety efforts they are undertaking and enables community members to voice their concerns. Many believe the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council is successful, citing that it has led to a reduction in spills and accidents in the area by encouraging companies to go above and beyond to ensure community members' health and wellbeing of community members (Rubbertown Community Advisory Council 2020).
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District . Click to expand.
Formed in 1946, the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) was created to form an “innovative regional utility for safe, clean waterways” (Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District 2020). MSD serves over 200,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers with water services, and it is the largest municipal water utility service in Kentucky. Operations are conducted through an eight-member board appointed by the Louisville Metro Mayor and approved by the Metro Council. MSD operates six wastewater treatment facilities, 22 small treatment plants, 12 pump stations, and over 3,000 miles of sewer lines. They also monitor the water quality of approximately 800 miles of waterways. Additionally, MSD operates an Ohio River flood protection service, monitors hazardous materials, and responds to associated emergencies. The operations and responsibilities of MSD continue to expand with recent growth pertaining to work that minimizes the threats and damages caused by human and natural disasters and responds to hazard material crises. MSD continues to focus its efforts on the protection of public health and safety. Additionally, they continue to put forth efforts towards increasing public knowledge, transparency, and environmental quality. The Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District continues to work towards ensuring that their “customers come first in a clean, green, and growing community” (Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District 2020).
Riverside Gardens
The residential community of Riverside Gardens was developed in 1926, featuring residential lots and homes as well as a beachfront clubhouse. For the next decade, the resort area was a prime location for various events held by Louisville's businesses, schools, and social circles. Special events such as swimming meets and horseshoe tournaments were also held at the clubhouse in addition to the everyday offerings of swimming, fishing, and boating. Although the community was damaged by the Great Flood of 1937, Riverside Gardens recovered and continued to offer entertainment, but this changed when America entered WWII. The development of Rubbertown to the north lead to pollution and hazards that negatively impacted the community, and the clubhouse was soon closed. In 1948, the land along the riverfront was transitioned into a landfill which came to be called the Lee's Lane Landfill. Today, residents of Riverside Gardens continue to report pollution and what they believe to be exposure-related health issues with little attention from the city of Louisville.
Lee's Lane Landfill
The Lee’s Lane Landfill is located in western Louisville, KY along the Ohio River. The site was used as a quarry in the 1940s before being repurposed as a landfill from 1948 to 1975. At least 212,400 tons of municipal and industrial waste were disposed of in the landfill during this period. In 1980, the Kentucky Department of Hazardous Materials and Waste Management discovered approximately 400 drums of hazardous waste within the landfill; these drums were removed by the landfill owners in the fall of 1981, but the remaining drums of non-hazardous material, as well as any empty drums, were buried in place on the landfill. The buried and capped landfill waste covers an area of 112 acres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Lee’s Lane Landfill site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup efforts concluded in 1988 and monitoring of the site has continued since.
Lake Dreamland
Lake Dreamland was developed in 1931 when farmer Ed Hartlage dammed a creek on his riverfront farmland to create a lake. The lake and the surrounding area became another summer resort location, with cabins and activities planned to attract vacationers from Louisville throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Like Riverside Gardens, Lake Dreamland recovered from the damage of the Great Flood of 1937 but was also similarly impacted by the pollution from Rubbertown. Hartlage repurposed many of the summer vacation cabins as residential housing for Rubbertown workers when the appeal as a vacation destination began to wane, but flood and weather damage and the lack of public works plagued these homes, resulting in poor living conditions. In the 1960s, Hartlage converted a dairy barn at Lake Dreamland into Club El Rancho, a tavern and dance club that claimed to be the first spot to bring rock 'n roll to Louisville, in an attempt to regain popularity, but the destruction of the club in 1967 ended Hartlage's enterprise. Over time, leaks and spills from the nearby manufacturing plants caused further issues for residents, and these issues still persist today, with little notice from the city of Louisville.
Cane Run Generating Station
The Cane Run Generating Station is a 640-megawatt natural gas power plant owned and operated by the Louisville Gas and Electric Company that acts as the primary power generating unit for Jefferson County. Between 1954 and 2015, Cane Run was an operational coal power plant with seven generating plants. Because of increasingly strict coal power regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and lawsuits regarding the dispersion of coal ash, the coal power operations were retired, and some of the coal generating plants were demolished in June of 2019. In its heyday, the Cane Run Coal Plants generated nearly 1,000 megawatts of power and employed over 500 people. In 1973, the Cane Run plant installed one of the first scrubbers in the United States, which acted as an environmental control by removing sulfur dioxide generated through the burning of coal. At the time, this was seen as a win for environmentalists and even led to the plant being visited by President Carter so that he could see the scrubbers in action (Louisville Gas and Electric Company 2020). Residents near Cane Run continue to fight for monetary assistance to cope with the lasting effects of coal ash on nearby properties and residents (Rust 2018). For the Louisville Gas and Electric Company, the Cane Run Generating Station represents “decades of reliable energy production, pioneering environmental technology, cutting-edge generation and the dedication of hard-working LG&E employees” (Louisville Gas and Electric Company 2020).
Louisville Gas and Electric Company. 2020. “History of Cane Run Plant.” Retrieved September 3, 2020 (lge-ku.com).
Rust, Kaitlin. 2018. “Residents near former LG&E coal plant seeking class action lawsuit,” WAVE 3 News, December 13. Retrieved September 6, 2020 (wave3.com).
Hexion
Hexion is one of the many chemical companies with plants located in Rubbertown. Their Louisville plant produces thermoset resins that are used in adhesives. Hexion describes their work as “responsible chemistry” because of their ongoing commitment to safe manufacturing and community involvement (Hexion 2020). In 2020, Hexion was awarded the American Chemical Council’s Responsible Care Award, which distinguished the Louisville plant for their work towards improving facility safety, noting their efforts in waste minimization and energy efficiency (Business Wire 2020). This, however, comes after Louisville air pollution regulators issued more $100,000 in fines for 2019 incidences at the plant that placed workers and nearby residents in danger. During 2019, Hexion was found to have had fifty events that resulted in excess chemical emissions. These emission events tended to occur regarding the emission of methanol and formaldehyde, both of which have serious environmental and health consequences. In Louisville, air pollution regulators noted that the frequency of these emissions events demonstrates ongoing operational issues at the Hexion plant, especially compared to neighboring factories that have not had this volume of repeated failures (Van Velzer 2019). Hexion, however, continues to focus on its “commitment to operate its facilities in full compliance with all regulations and in a safe and environmentally responsible manner” (Hexion 2020).
Hexion. 2020. “Responsible Chemistry.” Retrieved September 3, 2020 (hexion.com).
Business Wire. 2020. “Hexion Wins ACC Responsible Care Awards in Two Categories, 13 Facilities Recognized.” Retrieved September 8, 2020 (businesswire.com).
Van Velzer, Ryan. 2019. “Hexion Faces Fine for Repeated Toxic Releases as Neighbors Lose Hope,” WFPL News, October 15. Retrieved September 3, 2020 (wfpl.org).
Atkemix Ten
Stauffer Chemical Company previously operated the Atkemix Ten site as an organic chemical manufacturing plant. The plant was built in 1953 and was active until 1983. The plant produced various chemical compounds, including tetrachloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, anhydrous hydrogen chloride, muriatic acid, chloroform, and methylene chloride. In the 1960s, the site opened an additional facility for recycling methyl chloride. Following the closure of the plant, the facilities were demolished in the mid-1980s. The EPA has identified both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) present at the site both in the groundwater and the soil caused by the disposal of chemical by-products on site. These VOCs and SVOCs are associated with adverse health outcomes and are considered carcinogens (Pacholik 2019). The site continues to be monitored by federal and state regulators and is still being cleaned up (EPA 2017).
Environmental Protection Agency. 2017. “EPA RCRA ID: KYD006372197.” Retrieved October 14, 2020 (ofmpub.epa.gov).
Pacholik, Lucy Cinson. 2019. “Use of Functionalized Bimetallic Membranes for Treatment of Contaminated Groundwater at a Hazardous Waste Site in Kentucky.” Thesis, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
American Synthetic Rubber Company
Michelin North America Incorporated owns and operates the American Synthetic Rubber Company factory located in West Louisville. The plant produces synthetic rubbers and liquid polymers associated with tire manufacturing and space shuttle propellants for NASA (Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet 2016). The plant has been fined by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control Board due to the unlawful release of 1,3-butadiene. This compound is carcinogenic and has severe impacts on the health of those who inhale the compound. The plant violated emission standards off and on for nearly a decade without notifying reprimand. Since the last significant fine against the company in 2017, it has successfully reduced 1,3-butadiene emissions and worked more stringently to monitor and report any excess emissions (Kobin 2019).
Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet. 2016. “A KY Excel Spotlight: American Synthetic Rubber.” Retrieved October 20, 2020 (eec.ky.gov).
Kobin, Billy. 2019. “Louisville air pollution board approves $135K fine for rubber company,” Courier Journal, February 20. Retrieved October 12, 2020 (courier-journal.com).
Rubbertown Community Advisory Council
The American Chemical Council’s Responsible Care program led to the founding of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council in 1991 as a means for discussing safety, health, and environmental concerns surrounding industrial chemical operations. The goal of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council is to create and perpetuate mutual trust between these chemical companies and the community in which they are located in hopes of improving the wellbeing of the area. Currently, twelve companies are members of the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council. There are also community members ranging from residents to the Metro Police, Metro Air Pollution Control District, Metro Health Department, and the University of Louisville. This council allows companies to share information about the health and safety efforts they are undertaking and enables community members to voice their concerns. Many believe the Rubbertown Community Advisory Council is successful, citing that it has led to a reduction in spills and accidents in the area by encouraging companies to go above and beyond to ensure community members' health and wellbeing of community members (Rubbertown Community Advisory Council 2020).
Rubbertown Community Advisory Council. 2020. “Rubbertown Community Advisory Council.” Retrieved September 10, 2020 (rubbertowncac.org).
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District
Formed in 1946, the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) was created to form an “innovative regional utility for safe, clean waterways” (Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District 2020). MSD serves over 200,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers with water services, and it is the largest municipal water utility service in Kentucky. Operations are conducted through an eight-member board appointed by the Louisville Metro Mayor and approved by the Metro Council. MSD operates six wastewater treatment facilities, 22 small treatment plants, 12 pump stations, and over 3,000 miles of sewer lines. They also monitor the water quality of approximately 800 miles of waterways. Additionally, MSD operates an Ohio River flood protection service, monitors hazardous materials, and responds to associated emergencies. The operations and responsibilities of MSD continue to expand with recent growth pertaining to work that minimizes the threats and damages caused by human and natural disasters and responds to hazard material crises. MSD continues to focus its efforts on the protection of public health and safety. Additionally, they continue to put forth efforts towards increasing public knowledge, transparency, and environmental quality. The Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District continues to work towards ensuring that their “customers come first in a clean, green, and growing community” (Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District 2020).
Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District. 2020. “About Us: Our Mission, Vision, and Core Values.” Retrieved September 8, 2020 (louisvillemsd.org).
Timeline for Lee's Lane Landfill
The Lee’s Lane Landfill is located in western Louisville, KY along the Ohio River. The site was used as a quarry in the 1940s before being repurposed as a landfill from 1948 to 1975. At least 212,400 tons of municipal and industrial waste were disposed of in the landfill during this period. In 1980, the Kentucky Department of Hazardous Materials and Waste Management discovered approximately 400 drums of hazardous waste within the landfill; these drums were removed by the landfill owners in the fall of 1981, but the remaining drums of non-hazardous material, as well as any empty drums, were buried in place on the landfill. The buried and capped landfill waste covers an area of 112 acres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Lee’s Lane Landfill site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup efforts concluded in 1988 and monitoring of the site has continued since.
Monitoring Sites at the Lee’s Lane Landfill Superfund Site: This map shows where soil samples were taken and the location of monitoring wells, gas probes, the landfill gas collection system, and ambient air measures. It also shows the location of where monitors showed exceedances at some point in time. Abbr: LEL, lower explosive limit; LFG, landfill gas; VOCs, volatile organic compounds
Vapor Intrusion Study Evaluation Sites at Lee’s Land Landfill Superfund Site (2014) This map shows the locations for the 2014 vapor intrusion study in adjacent homes.
Links to documents that tell the regulatory story of the clean-up and on-going monitoring of contamination on the Lee's Lane Landfill.
Riverside Gardens and Lees Lane Landfill Map
The map above shows the location of sites that are or have been regulated/monitored by the EPA. It shows Superfund sites (active and deleted), active and inactive regulated (RCRA) sites, brownfield sites that have had EPA funds, and sites in the federal ICIS database. The map is zoomed in to show the areas close to Lee's Lane Landfill (red star) and adjacent neighborhoods, Riverside Gardens and Lake Dreamland.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2014-2018 5-year estimates. Retrieved from https://www.socialexplorer.com/tables/ACS2018_5yr/R12611127 .
Census Tracts 127.01 and 127.07 represent the households located in the area surrounding Lee's Lane Landfill. Census Tract 127.01 includes about half of Lake Dreamland and parts of other neighborhoods to the north of Lee's Lane. Tract 127.01 includes Riverside Gardens and the southern portion of Lake Dreamland nearest to Lee's Lane. The demographics of each area is presented in this table along with the data for Jefferson County. We use the Census American Community Survey 5 year estimate that summarizes 2014-2018. Both areas have lower median household incomes compared to the rest of the county, lower median home values, higher poverty rates, and higher cost and rent burdened households. Riverside Gardens median gross rent is slightly higher than the county and more than $150 more than the tract 127.01 where the remainder of Lake Dreamland households are located. Tract 127.01 has about twice as many occupied housing units compared to 127.02 and just over half are owner occupied where as close to 3/4 are owner occupied in Riverside Gardens. About 1/3 of the households are white non-Hispanic in 127.01 while the area of Riverside Gardens is 78 percent white.
