Big Bend Landfill has 17 groundwater monitoring wells, 10 of which have been polluted above federal advisory levels based on samples collected between August 30, 2010 and September 18, 2015. Groundwater at this site contains unsafe levels of boron, manganese, arsenic, cobalt, barium, beryllium, lead, selenium and sulfate.
Site descriptionBig Bend Closed Landfill is located east of Cedar Rapids, near the Cedar River. It was a sand quarry before becoming a landfill for coal combustion waste generated at Interstate Power and Light's Sixth Street Power Generating Station and Prairie Creek Generating Station. Sixth Street Power Generating Station closed due to flood in 2008 and was decommissioned in 2011. Prairie Creek Generating Station is still operating. The landfill closed in 1992. It is located on a highly susceptible aquifer according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Some off-site water supply wells are monitored for potential impacts from the landfill.