LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 23, 2024) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 officials were joined by York Mayor Barry Redfern, York City Administrator Sue Crawford, and representatives from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to recognize the third and final wave of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Superfund sites in the region.
Seven Superfund sites on EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) in Region 7 have received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to start new construction projects or fund ongoing cleanup projects:
- 57th and North Broadway Streets in Wichita, Kansas
- Caney Residential Yards in Caney, Kansas
- Cherokee County in Kansas
- Plating Inc. in Great Bend, Kansas
- Valley Park TCE in Valley Park, Missouri
- Vienna Wells in Vienna, Missouri
- PCE Southeast Contamination in York, Nebraska
Following a meet-and-greet and remarks at York City Hall, officials from EPA Region 7, city of York, and NDEE took a walking tour of the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site and its two operable units in downtown York.
“It was truly amazing to see the work being performed in York and the care the EPA team has taken to minimize disruption to the community and the potential displacement of local businesses during the cleanup of the site,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “The attention to detail our team has put into the remedial design and remedial action is a testament to how EPA Region 7 strives to work with our community partners throughout the Superfund process.”
Site Background
The primary contaminants of concern at the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site in York are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Taking measures to protect human health and the environment, EPA Region 7 has installed 27 vapor mitigation systems and connected 16 residential properties to the public water supply.
At Operable Unit 2, located at 5th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 has installed vertical, angled, and horizontal in-situ thermal remediation (ISTR) wells; temperature sensor wells; and vapor extraction wells. After a supply chain delay, the ISTR system started operations in the spring with site restoration planned for the fall of this year.
For Operable Unit 1, located at the corner of West 7th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 plans to install an ISTR system to heat, remove, capture, and treat soil contamination from PCE.
- Learn more about the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site.
- Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Superfund sites.
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