RALEIGH, N.C.-- The North Carolina State Auditor says the agency in charge of monitoring old landfill sites across the state, needs more resources to properly do its job.
North Carolina created the Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program in 2007 to monitor possible contamination. To date, the program, which is part of the Department of Environmental Quality, has identified 688 old landfill sites across the state.
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According to the auditor's office, 78% of those sites have never been investigated by the program, so there's no way to know what, if any contamination may be present. Most of those sites, according to the audit, are within 1,000 feet of homes, schools day cares, churches and drinking water wells.
"This is a program that was established in 2007. It was established to both identify, assess, and remediate landfill sites, and that encompassed a wide variety of geographic locations across the state of North Carolina," State Auditor Dave Boliek said in an interview on Monday. "A total of 688 identified pre-regulatory landfill sites were evaluated, and 534 of those sites, which represents north of 78%, have not yet even been investigated."
For the past two years, WRAL Investigates has asked questions about public parks in Durham and Zebulon that are now closed after lead was found in the soil. All of the parks were built on top of old landfills, which based on their age, had little-to-no regulations on what type of materials they could accept.
The auditor estimated the cost to investigate and clean up the sites across the state at nearly $1 billion dollars. Right now, the program is funded through the statewide solid waste disposal tax, which generates about $12 million a year. Based on the cost to investigate and remediate a site, if necessary, that funding allows the program to clean up 5 to 6 sites a year. The auditor noted funding as a key constraint for the program.
In its recommendations, the auditor's office encouraged the program to come up with a better system to prioritize which sites need investigation and possible remediation, as well as pursue funding from other sources to meet the workload. The auditor also wants the agency to work with lawmakers on possible changes to the law to give them more access to old landfill sites that are now on private property.
"As I travel across the state of North Carolina, one thing I hear from taxpayers is they're not against government spending money, and they're not against government in total. What they want to see is some action on behalf of government and a return on investment from taxpayer dollars," Boliek said. "I think from a real high level, what this report identifies and highlights, if nothing else, is is that it's probably time for a fresh look under the hood of this particular program."
In response to the audit, the Director of the Division of Waste Management, which oversees the landfill program, agreed with the auditor's findings. However, the agency did say it already uses a risk-based program to screen sites. Factors include proximity to homes, schools, day cares, churches and drinking water sources.
The agency is also increasing its communication with counties and municipalities about the old landfills. That includes annual letters reminding them about the potentially hazardous sites.
WRAL asked Boliek if residents should be concerned about the old landfill sites.
"Not all of these sites are going to be hazardous, and just because they're on the list doesn't mean they're going to be hazardous," Boliek said. "What it says is that there's a risk that there might be some hazardous consequences surrounding the Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program. This is a new spotlight on an area that deserves attention, and I fully expect the Department of Environmental Quality to ramp up its efforts across the state of North Carolina."
