ES Projects

Broadway North And South Landfills (Non-City Owned Landfills)

  • Objectives
    To ensure the safety of the public and the environment by coordinating with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
  • Location
    Near Broadway Blvd at the Pantano Wash
  • Waste Acreage
    North: 79.8; South: 36.2
  • Operation Dates
    North: 1959 - 1972; South: 1953 - 1962
  • Status
    Monitored Only Site
  • Type
    Groundwater Protection Project
  • Annual Budget
    approximately $20,000
  • Contact
    City of Tucson - Environmental Services 520-791-3175 or ADEQ 520-628-6733
  • Description
    The Broadway-Pantano Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) Site is a State Superfund Site which includes the Broadway North and South Landfills. The property is privately owned, however the City of Tucson disposed of municipal solid waste in the Broadway North Landfill in the past. Groundwater contaminated by tetrachloroethene (PCE), above regulatory standards, has been detected. The City was involved a work share agreement with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to monitor groundwater quality from December 2008 - February 2015. The Western Containment System (WCS), which removed and treated PCE contaminated groundwater, operated from March 2003 - October 2012. It was shutdown due to low PCE concentrations in the groundwater extraction wells.
  • Additional Info
    Although groundwater contamination above regulatory standards has been detected in some areas, Tucson Water monitors and limits usage of nearby drinking water production wells. All Tucson Water drinking wells meet all primary drinking water standards. For additional information on this site, please refer to ADEQ's website.
  • Last Update
    Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
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Project photo for Broadway North And South Landfills (Non-City Owned Landfills)

Project Details

Status Updates

  • June 2017
    The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) with the assistance of their consultant completed a Final Feasibility Study for the Broadway - Pantano WQARF Site. The report is available at the ADEQ, Waste Programs Superfund State WQARF website.
  • February 2015
    The completion of the work share agreement between the City and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to conduct quarterly groundwater monitoring of selected wells at the site. The ADEQ contractor will be responsible for all future groundwater monitoring activities.
  • October 2012
    The WCS was shutdown in October 2012 due to low tetrachloroethene (PCE) concentrations at extraction wells. Since it had began operation in March 2003, the system had removed a total of approximately 55 pounds of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and treated 3,160,000,000 gallons of groundwater.
  • September 2011
    The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality with the assistance of their consultant completed a site wide groundwater monitoring event for the Broadway - Pantano WQARF Site. The report documenting this data, is available in the Attachments/Reports section of this website.
  • March 2003
    The Western Containment System (WCS) began operation. It was designed to remove and treat volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater downgradient of the Broadway North Landfill.
  • June 2001
    The City and ADEQ entered into a work share agreement for investigation and remediation activities concerning the Broadway-Pantano WQARF Site.
  • 2000-2002
    The City installed and maintained a soil vapor extraction/air injection (SVE/AI) system to clean up the source of groundwater contamination in the deep subsurface beneath the Broadway North Landfill. The system removed over 5,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the subsurface. The system was shut off in 2002, and testing in 2003, 2004, and 2008 indicates that soil vapor VOC concentrations remain low.
  • December 1998
    The Broadway-Pantano Site, which includes the Broadway-North Landfill, was placed on the WQARF Registry, designating the area as a State Superfund Site.
  • 1998
    The City completed investigations to monitor groundwater quality and the nature and extent of contamination. The investigations confirmed that the landfill was a major source of contamination.
  • 1997
    The City installed a treatment system on the St. Joseph's Hospital groundwater supply well due to PCE concentrations approaching the regulatory standard. The treatment system consisted of two activated carbon canisters to remove the PCE. The City maintained and monitored the treatment system until 2009 when the hospital well failed. At this time, this system is not operating, but the hospital is planning to drill a replacement well.
  • 1987
    PCE was detected in a drinking water well at the western edge of the Broadway North Landfill. The well was shut down and the City began installing monitoring wells to assess groundwater quality in the area.

Pictures

Western Containment System (WCS) carbon vessels. They system is used to extract groundwater, remove the volatile organic compounds by activated carbon, and re-injected into the groundwater.

Treatment system on the St. Joseph’s Hospital groundwater supply well. System consists of two carbon canisters and was installed in 1997.

Attachments

  • WCS Operational Report for 2015

    This report is a summary of the operational data for the Broadway-Pantano Western Containment System (WCS) for 2015 (January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015). The system was shutdown on October 12, 2012, but is exercised monthly until January 2016.

  • Groundwater Monitoring Report

    Report summarizes groundwater monitoring results. Sampling was conducted by the City and Amec (ADEQ’s consultant) from December 2014 to March 2015. For more information contact the Environmental Services office at 520-791-3175.

  • Work Share Cost Report

    Report includes site work summary and direct costs for fiscal year 2015 (period of July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015) for work the City of Tucson completed towards a work sharing agreement between the City of Tucson and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

  • Landfill Remedial Investigation Report

    Final Remedial Investigation Report for the Broadway Landfill Operable Unit, Broadway-Pantano WQARF Site was finished by Clear Creek Associates on the behalf of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The above link will provide the text portion of the report. The complete report (including all appendices) can be made available by contacting City of Tucson - Environmental Services at 520-791-3175 or by visiting the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/sps/Broadway_Pantano.html

  • Sampling Comparison Event

    Memo documents groundwater sampling comparison between passive diffusion samplers (PDSs) (also known as polyethylene diffusion bags ? PDBs) to the Solinst® discrete depth bail sampler. Results indicated that PDSs provided comparable groundwater results to the discrete depth bail sampler. PDS require less field staff to implement, and was recommended as the future sampling method.

  • Memo to Mayor and Council

    Memo informs the City of Tucson Mayor and Council of the shutdown of the Broadway Pantano Western Containment System in October 2012.

  • ADEQ Letter to City of Tucson

    Letter informs the City of Tucson of ADEQ's plan for shutting down the Western Containment System and to increase groundwater sampling.

  • Groundwater Model Study

    Report documents groundwater model simulations to predict future movement of the groundwater plume under four different operating schedules for the Western Containment System including complete shutdown of the WCS.

  • Groundwater Flow Model

    Groundwater flow model documentation report for use in conducting feasibility study at the Broadway-Pantano WQARF Site, prepared for ADEQ by Clear Creek Associates. The text portion of this report is included at this link. To review the full document, contact Environmental Services at 520-791-3175.