We've made some changes to EPA.gov. If the information you are looking for is not here, you may be able to find it on the EPA Web Archive or the January 19, 2017 Web Snapshot.

News Releases from Region 07

EPA Proposes Old Highway 275 and 288th Street Site in Valley, Neb., to Superfund's National Priorities List

09/07/2016
Contact Information: 
Ben Washburn (washburn.ben@epa.gov)
913-551-7364

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EPA seal(Lenexa, Kan., Sept. 7, 2016) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing the addition of the Old Highway 275 and 288th Street Site in Valley, Neb., to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). An NPL listing notifies the public that EPA believes a site requires further study and cleanup under EPA's Superfund program.

The Old Highway 275 and 288th Street Site consists of groundwater contaminated by trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE) that have impacted one Pines Public Water Supply (PWS) well and four private wells. The PWS impacted well was disconnected, with two remaining PWS wells continuing to serve a population of 2,000. EPA installed whole-house carbon filtration systems at three residences and a former business where TCE-impacted private wells had concentrations that exceeded the Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant level.

TCE is used in industrial solvents and degreasers, as well as household products such as correction fluids, paints, paint removers, adhesives, rug cleaners, metal cleaners and spot removers. PCE is used for dry cleaning and textile processing, and for vapor degreasing in metal-cleaning operations.

People can be exposed to TCE and/or PCE by breathing contaminated air at home or in the workplace; by drinking, swimming or showering in contaminated water; or through contact with contaminated soil. Industrial emissions of TCE stem mostly from metal degreasing plants and steel pipe and tube manufacturing. Over the past few decades, concentrations of PCE detected in ambient air have declined with reductions in the use of PCE.

The addition of the Old Highway 275 and 288th Street Site to the NPL makes the site eligible for federal funds to comprehensively investigate and address site contamination. These funds also guarantee the public an opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions.

EPA will work to identify potentially responsible parties (PRPs), responsible for the contamination at the site, and require them to conduct or pay for the cleanup. If no viable PRPs are found, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site.

# # #

Learn more about the National Priorities List

View all Region 7 news releases

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7

Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7