By
Ayse Guner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA could have liability if site contains hazardous materials
As the auction date for the Tumamoc Hill approaches, the state and Tucson are trying to negotiate the repair cost for the landfill that contains UA waste.
There are estimated to be 365,000 tons of waste at the site, which could contain hazardous substances.
The cost of repair, which will most likely include a sealant being placed over the landfill, may be shared by Tucson and the state, James Keene, Tucson city manager, said.
But future examination of the site could raise the costs, which already exceed $1 million.
Though the University of Arizona will not have to pay to purchase or clean up the land at this time, the university could be held liable if the site contains hazardous materials.
If there is a release of hazardous waste, the state could inflict costs on the UA for clean-up.
Yesterday, the city, along with the waste management department, discussed the Tumamoc Landfill recommendation plan with Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup and the council study session at Tucson City Hall.
According to the recommendation plan suggested by the city, if the state agrees to pay half of the cost for the repair - an estimated $5,000,000 - the city will pay the rest, Keene said. If the plan moves forward, Pima County will purchase the 320 acres of land, giving the landfill portion of the lot to the city.
"Then, we will come up with the best environmental solution on how to take care of the landfill," said M.J. Dillard, senior engineering associate for Tucson's solid waste department.
Part of the recommendation plan also allows the city to go on the property and do the repair work, Dillard said.
If the state does not agree to help pay the repair costs, "the city will not accept the property, and then county is to decide whether to go ahead with the purchase," Dillard added.
City officials agreed that the future of Tumamoc is with the state.
"We would be willing to do our part," Keene said. "The ball is in their (the state's) court."
The Tumamoc Hill, 1675 W. Anklam Road, is an 869-acre lot. The UA has controlled 549 acres since 1957 and operates a desert research laboratory on the site.
During the 1960s, the UA and the city of Tucson dumped solid waste on 20 acres of the hill to prevent hikers from falling into a large hole on the land.
Now the site's waste is exposed, and malodorous gas seeps out of the ground.
The state has been trying to sell the land, including the landfill, to Pima County at the auction on Oct. 30. If Pima County buys the land, the property will then be used for conservation.
The county, however, doesn't want to be liable for the land if the city and the state don't clean up the exposed waste, Keene said.
No environmental tests have been conducted to determine if the landfill contains any hazardous substances.
In the late 1980s, several fires occurred on the landfill which caused neighbors to complain.
Although the landfill did not cause any pollution problems, it caused maintenance problems, said Steve Holland, UA director of risk management and safety.
However, because there are records proving the UA used the landfill, the university potentially faces long-term liability, Holland said.
"That's what they are trying to avoid," he added.
The dialogue to solve the issue has been going on for the last two decades.
"It's been an uphill battle," said Arlan Colton, who works for the State Land Department part-time to oversee the landfill. "Nobody has money, and we're struggling."
