EPA Issues Amendment to ROD for Columbus Cleanup (USA)

EPA Region 7 has issued an amendment to the Record of Decision (ROD) for the 10th Street Superfund Site in Columbus, Neb. EPA signed the ROD for the site in February 1995 to address groundwater contamination.

The selected remedy for the 1995 ROD was sampling of municipal and monitoring wells and institutional controls to limit exposure to contamination from the site.

Site activities in 2000 and 2001 led to a final ROD issued in 2005. The final ROD selected the following remedies:

– Continued operation of the Air Sparge/Soil Vapor Extraction and Groundwater Extraction and Treatment (GET) systems;

– In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) in the upgradient portion of the groundwater contaminant plume;

– Institutional controls in all three source areas.

The new ROD Amendment changes the selected remedy for the soil and groundwater contamination at the 10th Street Site. The selected amended remedy for the contaminated source area soils is building demolition, excavation of soil, and off-site disposal at all three source areas, the former One Hour Martinizing dry cleaner, the former Jackson Services, and the former Liberty Cleaners. The area of the excavated soil will be backfilled with non-contaminated soil.

The selected amended remedy to address contaminated groundwater at the former Jackson Services and former Liberty Cleaners source areas includes continued operation of the GET system and limited ISCO. The selected remedy for the contaminated groundwater at the former One Hour Martinizing dry cleaner is ISCO and/or biological remediation.

The contaminants of concern at the 10th Street Superfund Site are tetrachloroethene (PCE) and tricloroethene (TCE). PCE and TCE are commonly used in dry cleaning operations and also as industrial degreasers. The site was added to the National Priorities List in August 1990.

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Press Release, January 7, 2013