Durham Parks – Pre-Regulatory Landfill Sites

Five waste disposal areas were discovered in Durham by a Duke University Graduate student, Enikoe Bihari.  A 1937 street map of Durham showed four city-run waste incinerators that corresponded with active city parks along with newspaper articles describing the incinerator to park conversions.

The City of Durham hired Mid-Atlantic and Associates to conduct X-ray fluorescence (XRF) soil screening and collection of soil samples for analytical analysis to corroborate the information published by Enikoe Bihari (Duke University).  The City of Durham submitted completed eligibility questionnaire forms and supporting documentation (Duke publication, newspaper articles, and Sanborn maps) for each of the five waste disposal areas requesting acceptance into the Pre-Regulatory Landfill (PRLF) Program.

The PRLF Program determined the five waste disposal areas were eligible for the program based on supporting documentation and the statutory definition of a PRLF.  The five landfills were added to the PRLF inventory on October 12, 2023.  

PRLF Name                                                    Site Identification #                      

East Durham Park Landfill                          NONCD0000821

Lyon Park Landfill                                         NONCD0000822                           

East End Park Landfill                                  NONCD0000823                           

Walltown Park Landfill                                NONCD0000824                           

Northgate Park Landfill                               NONCD0000825                           

The typical process of investigating (assessing) a PRLF starts with historical use research, describing the site, water source survey, sensitive environment survey, description of geologic/hydrogeologic conditions, aerial photographs, various maps, and site visit photographic logs.  This information is available on Laserfiche by typing in the Site Identification # above, for each PRLF site as part of the first phase activity, DP-1, report. Following the first phase report, the next step in the investigation process would be a geophysical survey. The geophysical survey helps to show the location of buried waste and provides a guide for intrusive delineation activities.  Delineation of the waste disposal area boundary is typically the next step, followed by an above ground vapor survey, installation of landfill gas probes, collection of background soil samples, groundwater monitoring wells, soil gas probes, collection of surface water samples, and evaluation of an existing soil cover, if applicable.  The goal of the investigation phase is to establish the location of the waste disposal area and the extent of associated contamination, such as groundwater and vapor impacts beyond the waste disposal area boundary.

The PRLF program collected soil samples to evaluate the existing soil cover at each PRLF site. The evaluation process involved applying a grid approximately 100-feet by 100-feet over each PFLF site to collect soil samples in each grid.  The sampling protocol included one discrete soil sample from the center of each grid for volatile organic compound analysis and one composite sample of five separate locations within each grid for analysis of metals, semi-volatile organic compounds, sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and hexavalent chromium.  

Recommended next steps for each PRLF site will include a geophysical survey, and a boundary survey so the PRLF program can determine the horizontal extent of the waste disposal area. If waste extends beyond the City of Durham parcel, the PRLF program will need to communicate with neighboring property owners to request access permission for the full suite of investigative and remediation activities.