Emelle Hazardous Waste Mound, Alabama

Possibly the largest hazardous waste dump in the U.S., with a capacity of 2,145,733 cubic yards, and covering 2,700 acres in remote Sumter County, in western Alabama. At its peak, the facility received almost 800,000 tons of waste per year, coming mostly from US states outside of Alabama, and military bases overseas. Though the landfill is lined, and a leachate filtration system helps to keep toxic materials on site, some tests have reported traces of water contamination in nearby towns.