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Fact Sheet
July 2005
Proposed Plan Available for Comment
Chemical Commodities, Inc. Site, Olathe, Kansas
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 invites the public to review and comment on the revised Proposed Plan for the Chemical Commodities, Inc. Site in Olathe, Kansas. The Proposed Plan presents the preferred alternatives to address soil and ground water contamination at the site. The action will be authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund law.
EPA is asking for comments from the public on the Proposed Plan. The comment period opens on July 19, 2005. A public meeting will be held at the City of Olathe Fire Administration Building, 1225 S. Hamilton Circle, Olathe, Kansas, on July 26, 2005 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Although EPA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are recommending a plan to address the contamination, a final decision will not be made until EPA reviews all comments from the public. After the comment period closes, EPA will make a decision, which will be published in a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD will also include a summary of EPA’s responses to the comments received during the public comment period.
PUBLIC MEETING AND COMMENT PERIOD
EPA will hold a public meeting to provide information on the Proposed Plan for the Chemical Commodities, Inc. Site. The public meeting will be held:
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fire Administration Building
1225 S. Hamilton Circle
Olathe, Kansas
EPA will take comments on the Proposed Plan through August 19, 2005. Comments may be made at the public meeting, or sent to EPA at the address listed below.
Fritz Hirter
Environmental Protection Agency
Office of External Programs
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
Phone: 913-551-7003
Toll free: 800-223-0425
hirter.fritz@epa.gov
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SITE DESCRIPTION
The Chemical Commodities, Inc. (CCI) Site is located at 320 South Blake Street in Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas. The site consists of a plot of land bordered on the east by the BNSF Railway Company rail lines, South Keeler Street on the west, and a large residential area to the north and west. Land use in the area around the site is predominantly residential with some mixed commercial and industrial use.
CCI was a chemical brokerage that operated at the site from 1951 through 1989. The company purchased used, off specification, and surplus chemical products for resale. Some chemical treatment and repackaging activities were also conducted on the CCI property. Chemicals of all types were stored on the property in a variety of containers including above ground tanks, under ground tanks, drums, barrels, cylinders, bottles, etc. Many of the containers leaked, causing a release of hazardous substances to the site soil and ground water.
THE CONTAMINANTS
Due to the wide variety of chemicals once stored on the CCI site, soil
at the site contains numerous chemicals. The primary types of chemicals
found in site soil include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals,
pesticides, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
As a result of past operations at the site, the ground water is contaminated with VOCs, primarily chlorinated solvents. The compound found most frequently and in the highest concentrations in ground water is trichloroethylene (TCE).
SITE HISTORY AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES
EPA first became involved at the site in the early 1980s after receiving complaints from local and state agencies. Initially, EPA worked with the site owner, who performed some response actions, but was ultimately unable to complete the work necessary to clean up the site.
In 1989, EPA approved the use of federal funds to conduct response actions
at the site. The response actions included characterization and segregation
of containerized wastes, transportation and disposal of containerized
wastes, testing of site soil and ground water, excavation and disposal
of site soil, capping of some site soil, cleaning of the main warehouse
building, and construction of a ground water collection trench and treatment
system to collect and treat the most highly contaminated ground water.
The EPA listed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in June
1994. Throughout the mid to late 1990s, additional studies were conducted
at the CCI property, and EPA completed a thorough review of site records
to identify potentially responsible parties (PRPs). PRPs are individuals
or groups who have potential liability under the Superfund Law.
In May 2000, a consent order for the performance of a remedial investigation
and feasibility study (RI/FS) was signed between EPA and two of the PRPs,
the Boeing Company and the Department of Defense. Since earlier investigations
focused only on the CCI property, the RI was focused on areas beyond CCI,
and included installation of ground water monitoring wells and the collection
of hundreds of ground water samples.
An initial RI report was approved by EPA in December 2001. However, additional
investigation was necessary due to complex hydrogeological conditions
at the site. The final RI report was approved by EPA in February 2004.
Results of the RI show TCE contamination in the ground water has spread
beneath the neighborhood west of the site for a distance of about two
blocks.
While Boeing was performing the RI, EPA evaluated potential indoor air
impacts associated with the ground water problem. After several rounds
of air sampling, EPA concluded that a response action was necessary, and
Boeing agreed to install ventilation systems in affected homes.
Following completion of the RI, Boeing prepared a feasibility study (FS)
which evaluates cleanup alternatives for both the soil and ground water.
The FS was approved by EPA in June 2004.
EPA prepared a Proposed Plan which was released for public comment in
July 2004. Based on feedback received from KDHE and the local community,
EPA required additional work at the site to more fully evaluate cleanup
alternatives. The additional work was documented in the Supplemental Investigation
Report dated May 2005. Boeing then completed an addendum to the FS dated
June 2005. These site documents are available for public review at the
Olathe Public Library.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES
Based on the Supplemental Investigation Report and the Second FS Addendum,
EPA has prepared a revised Proposed Plan presenting the preferred alternatives
for soil and ground water at the site. The major components of the preferred
alternatives include the following:
Soil:
- Excavation and offsite disposal of shallow soils containing high levels of VOCs and metals;
- Excavation and offsite disposal of deep soils containing high levels of VOCs;
- Chemical oxidation treatment in areas of deep excavations;
- Construction of a soil cover; and
- Land use controls.
Ground water:
- Chemical oxidation treatment along western site boundary;
- Chemical oxidation treatment in neighborhood west of site;
- Ground water monitoring;
- Natural attenuation;
- Maintenance and monitoring of indoor air ventilation systems; and
- Controls to prevent use of contaminated ground water.
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