CHEMICAL COMMODITIES, INC. KANSAS EPA ID# KSD031349624 EPA Region 7 City: Olathe County: Johnson County Other Names: 05/22/2007 HI SITE DESCRIPTION The Chemical Commodities Inc. (CCI) site is located in a commercial and residential area of central Olathe. The CCI site occupies approximately 1.5 acres and borders the Burlington Northern railroad right-of-way and single family residences. CCI is a former chemical brokerage facility that handled, stored, repackaged, and distributed a variety of chemicals. Before 1951, the site was occupied by an ice manufacturer. CCI operated the facility from 1951 to 1989. In 1980, CCI acquired a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit allowing the facility to generate and transport hazardous waste. During the facility's operation, poor housekeeping, inappropriate material handling and storage practices, and facility conditions that allowed materials to migrate off site were documented. Concerns for public health and the environment were raised during the facility's operation due to emanating odors, contaminated rain water runoff from the site, and fires. Investigations conducted by CCI, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, potentially responsible parties, and the EPA have indicated that soil and ground water are contaminated with a wide range of metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and pesticides. Some of these substances have migrated off-site via air, surface water runoff, and ground water movement. Approximately 78,000 people live in the city of Olathe; about 7,100 live within 1 mile of the site. Ground water is not used as a source of municipal drinking water; however, private wells are found within 3 miles of the site. Site Responsibility: NPL LISTING HISTORY This site is being addressed through Federal and potentially responsible party's actions. Proposed Date: 01/18/94 Final Date: 05/31/94 Deleted Date: ------- THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS /5d 7TV The soil and ground water are contaminated with various metals; VOCs and semi-VOCs, primarily, trichloroethylene (TCE), carbon tetrachloride, and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and pesticides. Ground water also is contaminated with high concentrations of TCE and PCE, which have migrated more than 1,000 feet to the west and southwest of the site. The site is secured to limit public access. Ingesting or touching contaminated soil or ground water could pose a public health threat. Disturbing the soils on-site could release contaminants to the air and pose an inhalation threat. Ground water that has migrated underneath homes presents a potential threat to indoor air quality in the homes. CLEANUP APPROACH Response Action Status Immediate Actions: In 1991, the EPA completed the disposal of chemicals and highly contaminated soil; building decontamination; and the installation of a ground water capture and treatment system. An interceptor trench was constructed to capture contaminated water from the ground water table. The ground water is treated on-site prior to discharge. Beginning in February 2003, ventilation systems were installed in certain homes determined to be vulnerable to indoor air impacts from the contaminated ground water. In June 2003, the EPA removed a mound of contaminated soil and the former warehouse building which had become badly deteriorated over time, and which presented a threat of releasing contamination to the environment. Entire Site: The EPA has overseen additional site characterization work conducted by potentially responsible parties (PRPs). This work included extensive sampling of soil and ground water to determine a more detailed account of the nature and extent of contamination at the site. Final cleanup actions were selected in a September 2005 Record of Decision. The final cleanup actions will include excavation of high concentration soils, capping of the site, and chemical oxidation treatment to address the contaminated groundwater. Site Facts: ------- ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS Between 1989 and 1991 EPA conducted a series of removal actions to address the immediate threats posed by site conditions. EPA's actions included offsite disposal of all containerized wastes, offsite disposal of the most highly contaminated soils, onsite disposal of lesser contaminated soils, dismantling and disposal of several onsite structures, grit blasting and coating the interior surfaces of the onsite warehouse building, and installation of a ground water interceptor trench and water treatment system. In the mid 1990s, a potentially responsible party conducted a study to define the nature and extent of contamination of onsite subsurface soils and ground water. In 1998, potentially responsible parties accepted responsibility for the continued operation of the ground water interceptor trench. The trench is scheduled for closure in late 2005. On May 15, 2000, EPA entered into an Administrative Order with several parties to complete a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at the site to define the nature and extent of offsite ground water contamination, and to evaluate cleanup alternatives. After several phases of investigation, complicated by geologic conditions at the site, the RI/FS was completed in 2005. A Record of Decision (ROD) was signed in September 2005, documenting the remedial actions selected for addressing site soils and ground water. The Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment was completed in January 2003. Between 2002 and 2004, EPA collected indoor air samples from residences near the site to monitor indoor air impacts from the contaminated ground water. In 2005, the PRPs agreed to take over the indoor air sampling program. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT In the fall of 2000, coinciding with the start of RI/FS activities, the EPA began meeting with and corresponding with the community. Due to a high level of community interest in the site, a Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed. This group continues to be active and meetings are held regularly. The City of Olathe participates in the community meetings and has been actively involved in the remedy selection process. For each CAG meeting, notices are mailed and display ads are placed in the Olathe Daily News and the Olathe Section of the Kansas City Star . The mailings go to over 300 people. 11/2003 CAG Meeting 2/2004 CAG Meeting 4/2004 CAG Meeting 5/2004 CAG Meeting 7/2004 Proposed Plan. A Fact Sheet was mailed announcing the Public Meeting, July 20, ------- 2004. Comment Period was announced. Ads were placed announcing the meeting and the comment period. 7/2004 Comment period was extended another 30 days at the request of the CAG members. 8/2004 CAG Meeting 10/2004 CAG Meeting. 2/2005 CAG distributed 79 surveys on what the future use of the property should be after cleanup. Twenty-four surveys were returned. 7/2005 CAG released the report on the survey findings. 7/2005 Revised Proposed Plan. A Fact Sheet was mailed announcing the Public Meeting, July 26, 2005. Comment Period was announced. Ads were placed announcing the meeting and the comment period. 11/2005 CAG Meeting. The CAG decided their meetings would be semi-annual. 5/4/2006 CAG Meeting at the Fire Administration Building. Results of visioning workshop were presented, including a conceptual graphic. Article followed May 10th in the Olathe section of the Kansas City. 11/6/2006 CAG Meeting. 7/23/2007 Projected CAG Meeting ------- SITE REPOSITORY Maggie Baker Olathe Public Library 201 E. Park Street Olathe, KS 66061 (913)971-6849 Mon-Thur: 9am-9pm Fri: 9am-6pm Sat: 9am-5pm Sun: lpm-5pm Superfund Records Center 901 N. 5th St. Kansas City, KS 66101 Mail Stop SUPR (913)551-7166 REGIONAL CONTACTS SITE MANAGER: Mary Peterson E-MAIL ADDRESS: peterson.mary@epa.gov. PHONE NUMBER: (913) 551-7882 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COORDINATOR: PHONE NUMBER: E-MAIL ADDRESS: STATE CONTACT: PHONE NUMBER: Fritz Hirter (913)551-7003 hirter.fritz@epa.gov Leo Henning MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION STATE: KS 07L3 CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 03 EPA ORGANIZATION: SFD-EELR/SUPR MODIFICATIONS Created by: Karla Created Date: 10/20/97 02:28 PM Asb erry/SUPRFUND/R7/U S EPA/US Last Modified by: Mary Last Modified Date: 05/22/2007 02:29 PM ------- Peterson/SUPR/R7/USEPA/ US ------- |