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Fact Sheet
July 2006
Five-Year Review Begins - Strother Field Industrial Park Superfund Site, Cowley County, Kansas
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts regular five-year reviews on Superfund sites where cleanups have been completed. These reviews are required by the Superfund law [42 U.S.C. § 9621(c)]. EPA Region 7 and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have initiated the first five-year review of the Strother Field Industrial Park Superfund site in Cowley County, Kansas.
SITE BACKGROUND
The Strother Field Industrial Park site covers 2.3 square miles and is
four miles southwest of Winfield and four miles north of Arkansas City,
in Cowley County. Until 1946, the site was a military facility. Approximately
30 industrial and commercial businesses are operating at the park at
this time. About 2,300 people live within three miles of Strother
Field and use ground water as a source of drinking water.
In 1983 and 1984 KDHE discovered several chlorinated organic chemicals, including trichloroethylene (TCE), in the wells supplying drinking water to the industrial park. Following this discovery, the ground water continued to be used for industrial purposes while drinking water was trucked in.
In 1985 General Electric, a potentially responsible party, agreed to install two recovery wells with air stripping columns to treat the water and maintain the contaminant plume.
In 1989 the Strother Field Commission installed a new water supply well upgradient of the contamination to supply drinking water for the industrial park.
The remedy selected in the March 1994 Record of Decision included addressing ground water contamination through extraction and treatment (air-stripping) and remediating contaminated soils at two source areas through in-situ treatment (soil vapor extraction). Institutional controls to prevent future use of contaminated ground water for drinking purposes are also included.
Monitoring the ground water will ensure the treatment systems are controlling the spread of contamination and monitoring the air emissions from the air strippers will ensure the efficiency of the treatment system and determine if any additional treatments of vapors are necessary for protection of human health.
Studies completed during the remedial design indicated natural attenuation was occurring at the site and additional extraction/treatment systems would not be necessary but additional monitoring points would be established.
Another study completed during the remedial design determined the contaminated soils under Building 5 at the General Electric facility should be left in place. The small area of contamination outside the Greif Brothers building at the northeast and northwest corners should be covered (capped) with asphaltic concrete to reduce percolation of water from rainfall and runoff.
A 1998 Explanation of Significant Differences approved these changes to the remedial actions specified in the Record of Decision. The changes were incorporated into the 2001 consent decree.
The April 2001 consent decree between the United States and the Settling Defendants stated the remedial actions would be as stated in the Explanation of Significant Differences.
The remedial action work plans were reviewed by EPA and KDHE in June 2001. The additions and changes to the ground water treatment systems, the ground water monitoring system, and the monitoring of the natural attenuation progress were completed in April 2004. Proposed changes to the two small areas to be capped at the Greif Brothers facility are being determined at this time.
FIVE-YEAR REVIEWS
The goal of the five-year review process is to assess the ongoing, long-term effectiveness of completed cleanups over time to protect human health and the environment.
A final report will be prepared and will be available at the end of the review in the site information repositories.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Administrative Record associated with the Strother Field Industrial Park site is available at the following locations during normal business hours:
Strother Field Industrial Park
Terminal Building
Winfield, Kansas
EPA Region 7 Records Center
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
Questions or requests for additional information on this Superfund site or the five-year review process may be addressed to:
Fritz Hirter
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll free: 1-800-223-0425
e-mail: hirter.fritz@epa.gov
Ken Rapplean
Remedial Project Manager
Superfund Division
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll free: 1-800-223-0425
e-mail: rapplean.kenneth@epa.gov
