Lees Lane Landfill Superfund Site (Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky)

 Upload a photo

The Lee's Lane Landfill located in Jefferson County, Kentucky is a 112-acre site that received over 2 million cubic yards of domestic, commercial, and industrial wastes between the 1940s and 1975. Sand and gravel quarrying occurred on the site before and during the property's use as a landfill. In 1975, residents living next to the site reported flash fires around their water heaters. After explosive levels of methane gas were detected, seven nearby homes were evacuated and purchased by local authorities. The State closed the landfill that same year. The majority of the 1,100 residents of a subdivision located adjacent to the landfill are connected to a public water supply system, which draws from an underlying aquifer. In 1980, State personnel discovered 400 exposed drums of hazardous materials, some highly flammable, and the Ohio River bank next to the landfill. They identified more than 50 chemicals including phenolic resins, benzene, and a variety of heavy metals. The air was polluted with methane gas vented from the landfill. Groundwater, soil, and surface water were contaminated with benzene, heavy metals including lead and arsenic, and inorganic chemicals.