ABSTRACT
Landfarming may be a cost-effective, environmentally sound technology for remediation of pesticide-contaminated soil at agrichemical facilities. Remediation of a facility involves two components: cleanup of the contaminated site and treatment of the contaminated soil. Landfarming entails the application of pesticide-contaminated soil to agricultural land at agronomic application rates. Most states that permit landfarming require contaminated soils containing Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RICRA) wastes or non-registered pesticides to be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills or by incineration. The design of a remedial action plan for a specific facility should begin with an accurate assessment of the extent of soil and ground water contamination at a site. Protocols must be established to facilitate site assessments at both the remediation site and landfarming site. Timing of landfarming may be a critical parameter to overcome reductions in microbial activity as soil temperature cools following the growing season.
