A decades old waste dump, which is feared to contain toxic chemicals, was discovered by road workers near Keflavík International Airport. The local Health Inspector has halted the road work.The road work is for a new commercial area which is being developed at the site.
Old US Navy Waste Dump
The waste, which includes large quantities of metal, including containers and barrels, and significant amount of what appears to be tar, comes from an abandoned US Navy waste dump. Keflavík Airport was home to a US Naval Air Station from 1951 before closing down in 2006.
The local health inspector experts fear that toxic chemicals such as PCB could be found in the ground, reports local newspaper Víkurfréttir. It is feared that old batteries might have been dumped at the site. The local news site Vísir reports that the tar could come from leftover asphalt which is believed to have been dumped at the site during the construction of the airport's runways. Keflavík Airport was originally built by the US Navy during WWII.
Read more: Historic photographs show the abandoned Keflavík Naval Air Station shortly after its closure in 2006
Soil samples from the site are currently being tested to determine what kind of chemicals might be buried at the site. The developer and the health inspector are studying old photographs to determine the size of the landfill.
A decades old waste dump, which is feared to contain toxic chemicals, was discovered by road workers near Keflavík International Airport. The local Health Inspector has halted the road work.The road work is for a new commercial area which is being developed at the site.
Old US Navy Waste Dump
The waste, which includes large quantities of metal, including containers and barrels, and significant amount of what appears to be tar, comes from an abandoned US Navy waste dump. Keflavík Airport was home to a US Naval Air Station from 1951 before closing down in 2006.
The local health inspector experts fear that toxic chemicals such as PCB could be found in the ground, reports local newspaper Víkurfréttir. It is feared that old batteries might have been dumped at the site. The local news site Vísir reports that the tar could come from leftover asphalt which is believed to have been dumped at the site during the construction of the airport's runways. Keflavík Airport was originally built by the US Navy during WWII.
Read more: Historic photographs show the abandoned Keflavík Naval Air Station shortly after its closure in 2006
Soil samples from the site are currently being tested to determine what kind of chemicals might be buried at the site. The developer and the health inspector are studying old photographs to determine the size of the landfill.
