Number: 1989-05
WHEREAS, the Missouri River has historically been regarded as one of the most significant natural resources in these United States; and
WHEREAS, Browning-Ferris Industries Inc., has applied for permits to place a sanitary landfill at the Old Quindaro Townsite in Kansas City, Kansas; and
WHEREAS, this landfill would be only 200 to 400 feet from the major drinking water resource of the State of Missouri – The Missouri River; and
WHEREAS, the landfill location is 16 blocks upstream of the Kansas City, Kansas drinking water in-take and 2.1 miles above the water in-take for Kansas City, Missouri; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said in the Federal Register (August 1988) that “All landfills and leachate collection systems eventually fail”; and
WHEREAS, if the landfill were allowed, hazardous cancer-causing chemicals would leak into the surrounding land and water or would be carried in run-off to the river even though the company plans to use “state-of-the-art technology”; and
WHEREAS, if the landfill as planned was allowed, an undetermined amount of persistent hazardous chemicals would contaminate the Missouri River and accumulate in its sediments and biota; and
WHEREAS, extraordinary engineering safety features should be applied to landfills, including at a minimum features such as multiple liners, specific leachate collection and treatment systems, specific leak detection systems, and input restrictions; and
WHEREAS, Kansas and Missouri health and environment officials have said “if the landfill leaks and contaminates the Missouri River, the consequences would be serious”; and
WHEREAS, alternative sites exist that are more acceptable and not within the floodplain of any river or stream; and
WHEREAS, the placement of a landfill so close to the Missouri River simply does not make good sense; and
WHEREAS, this problem has broader implications for siting of similar landfills in floodplains;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 16-19, 1989, in Arlington, Virginia hereby opposes the placement of a landfill at the proposed Quindaro Bend site on the Missouri River; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we hereby recommend that Congress and EPA adopt a national policy that prohibits wherever possible the siting of solid and hazardous waste landfills within floodplains or hydrogeologically vulnerable areas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we hereby recommend that all solid and hazardous waste landfills incorporate additional engineering safety features beyond those required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including at a minimum multiple liners, specific leachate collection and treatment systems, specific leak detection systems and input restrictions.