Swinomish
Office of Planning &
Community Development
LACONNER, WA, USA

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE & MANAGEMENT

Indian Road Quarry Landfill Cleanup

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has received over $500,000 of grant funding from Indian Health Service to clean up the old Indian Road Quarry Landfill. Cleanup of the old quarry, which was used to dispose of over 300,000 tons of wood waste and garbage, is necessary to protect groundwater quality on the Swinomish Reservation. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community purchased the old quarryfrom the landowners in order to clean it up, and this cleanup was conducted during the summer of 2003.

The landfill closure project was cpmpleted ahead of schedule and on budget. In the first picture, you can see the 300,000 tons of decaying wood waste that has been regraded (brown stuff), which is being capped by 3 compacted lifts of 18 " of impermeable clay (white stuff). 4" of topsoil was placed as a cap and hydroseed with grass; surface water will drain to the infiltration pond (bottom right picture) in the process of being built...see the 20' thick layer of wood waste...it increases to about 60' thick all the way to the North end of the quarry. Fromthe infiltration pond, the water will recharge the aquifer without percolating through the decaying wood waste.

The Tribe now has 8 acres of gently sloping grassy area; 5 acres is the capped wood waste that is unsuitable for building, but would be perfect for a ball field. The remaining 3 acres will be fully buildable. There will be 8 steel methane vent pipes sticking 8 feet out of the ground top release the gaseous byproduct of wood waste breakdown.