The Midnight Landfill

Residents recall the sound of large trucks moving down Peters Mine Road in the middle of the night, heading to what they referred to as the “midnight landfill.” Barrels of sludge and other waste were pushed down the shaft of Peters Mine, tumbling down the 17 underground levels on a 2,400 foot incline. Paint sludge contains a number of carcinogens including lead, arsenic, antimony, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Bis(2- ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and acetone. Several graphics in this exhibit illustrate the impact of these chemicals on human health. “