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Fact Sheet
November 2007
Third Five-Year Review to Begin, John Deere - Ottumwa Site, Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa
Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts regular five-year checkups, called five-year reviews, on Superfund sites where cleanups have been completed. These reviews are required by the Superfund law [42 U.S.C. Section 9621 (c)]. EPA Region 7 has started the third five-year review of the John Deere - Ottumwa site. The site is bounded by the Wabash Railroad tracks on the west, Highway 63/34 on the east, and Vine Street on the north.
The EPA is doing the five-year review to make sure the cleanup continues to protect human health and the environment.
A single waste disposal area of approximately 20 acres was determined to exist on-site, with the depth of waste material ranging between four and ten feet. The buried waste materials consist of amber to black colored sand that is easily crumbled and hardened greenish-yellow material with pieces of wood, coal, metal fragments, and paint chips.
Background
From 1911 through 1973, Deere & Company disposed of plant -generated wastes by burying them on-site or burning them on top of the soil. Wastes buried on-site included solvents, paint sludges, cyanide, petroleum distillates, and foundry sand. These disposal areas have been substantially covered at the surface by later plant expansions or other construction.
In May 1985, EPA conducted a Site Investigation. In 1990, Geraghty & Miller, on behalf of Deere & Company, conducted an additional investigation that determined the type and extent of contamination. The investigations concluded that ground water, surface water, and sediment contamination posed no significant threat to human health.
To address potential threats posed by waste and soil contamination, land use controls were selected to restrict contact with the site. These include perpetual maintenance of the existing eight-foot-high chain link fence topped with barbed wire, and deed restrictions to limit land use and prevent development of residences or other exposure situations on-site in the future.
National Priorities List (NPL) Details
Inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL) is one of the basic steps in the Superfund cleanup process. Sites which appear to present a significant threat to human health and the environment are identified and ranked to be included on the NPL.
A site may be deleted from the NPL when the remedy is completed, the contaminants contained, and no further response is required.
The John Deere-Ottumwa site was placed on the NPL February 21, 1990, and deleted on January 22, 2001.
The Five-Year Review
During the review, EPA studies information on the site and inspects the site to make sure it remains protective of human health and the environment. We encourage the community to tell us about site conditions or any concerns you may have.
A final report will be prepared at the end of the review and will be available at the site information repositories.
Additional Information
Detailed site information is available at the following locations during normal business hours:
Ottumwa Public Library
102 W. Fourth St.
Ottumwa, IA
EPA Records Center
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS
Questions or requests for information can be submitted to:
Fritz Hirter
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 7
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll free: (800) 223-0425
e-mail: hirter.fritz@epa.gov
