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Fact Sheet
September 2006
EPA Announces Explanation of Significant Differences - Waterloo Coal Gasification Plant Site, Waterloo, Iowa
INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 announces the Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) in the September 2004 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Waterloo Coal Gasification Plant Site (Site), located in Waterloo, Iowa. This ESD describes the significant differences to the original remedy that was selected in the ROD.
The remedy selected in the ROD has not been implemented at the Site due to an EPA policy decision concerning the use of Alternate Concentration Limits (ACLs) as ground water cleanup standards. Therefore, ACL values were not developed and it was necessary to revise the ground water cleanup approach.
The revised remedy, Institutional Controls and Monitored Natural Attenuation with Ground Water Monitoring, is designed to accomplish the same objectives as the original remedy. The revised remedy implements the main components of the original remedy, including: (1) the use of property restrictions and existing regulations to address potential future exposure to soil and ground water; and (2) monitoring ground water for site-related contaminants.
From 1994 through 2003, approximately 25,000 tons of coal tar and coal tar-contaminated soil were excavated and thermally treated during a three-phased removal action. Excavation of the source material has limited the potential impact to ground water and soil by site-related contaminants; however, some contamination still exists due to the difficulties associated with excavating material from below the ground water table.
The August 2006 Technical Impracticability (TI) Evaluation Report provides the basis for EPA’s determination that all of the ground water cannot be cleaned up and the revised remedy takes this into consideration.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
EPA encourages the public to review the ESD at the information repositories during normal business hours. The ESD and other site-related documents are available at the following locations:
Waterloo Public Library
415 Commercial
Waterloo, Iowa
EPA Region 7 Office
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas
If you have questions about the site or the ESD, please contact:
Beckie Himes
Community Involvement Coordinator
Office of External Programs
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
Phone: 913-551-7003 or
toll-free 1-800-223-0425
himes.beckie@epa.gov
