AIDEX CORPORATION
IOWA
EPA ID# IAD042581256

rrrr
EPA Region 7
City: 7 Miles South of Council Bluffs
County: Mills County
Other Names:
05/30/2007
SITE DESCRIPTION
The 15-acre Aidex Corporation site is a former pesticide formulation facility located
approximately 7 miles south of Council Bluffs. In 1976, a building used to formulate the
herbicide atrazine and other pesticides was destroyed by a fire. The surrounding soil was
contaminated by water used to extinguish the blaze. In 1980, Aidex filed for bankruptcy.
Cleanup operations were undertaken at the site in 1981. When cleanup began, approximately
3,400 drums of pesticides were stored in open areas on the site. A concrete pit in the destroyed
building contained about 2 feet of contaminated water, and a large underground storage tank also
held contaminated materials. Soil and groundwater were contaminated by pesticide spills.
Approximately 600 people live within 3 miles of the rural site. A shallow aquifer underlies the
site and is contaminated. Forty-two shallow domestic water wells are located within a 2-mile
radius of the site.
Site Responsibility:
NPL LISTING HISTORY
This site was addressed through Federal and State
actions.
Proposed Date:
12/30/82

Final Date:
09/08/83

Deleted Date:
10/21/93
THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS

-------
The groundwater was contaminated with atrazine, a pesticide produced at the site.
The soil was contaminated with other pesticides including aldrin and chlordane
from wastes stored at the site and as a result of the 1976 fire. The potential existed
for pesticides to migrate off the Aidex site into either the soil or the groundwater.
Flooding occurring in the area could have facilitated migration of contaminants
into the Missouri River flood plain. The threat of direct contact with or ingestion
of contaminated soil and groundwater has been eliminated. Five-Year Reviews
were conducted in 1993, 1998, and 2004 to determine whether the action taken to
cleanup the site remained effective in protecting human health and the
environment. The review in 2004 determined that the site no longer represents a
threat to human health and the environment and that no further reviews were
required.
CLEANUP APPROACH
Response Action Status
Soil and Groundwater: Cleanup remedies selected to address contamination by pesticides in the
soil and groundwater included: excavating buried wastes from within the perimeter of the
disposal trench and transporting the wastes off site for disposal in a secure landfill; grading,
when necessary, and seeding the remaining soils; expanding the monitoring well network by
adding three wells to monitor mid-range and deep water quality downgradient of the site;
vacuuming the buildings to remove loose dust from all accessible interior surfaces and washing
floors and walls; and testing monitoring wells annually for 30 years or until a determination is
made that the site no longer poses a threat to nearby drinking water supplies. The EPA and the
Army Corps of Engineers removed 20,608 cubic yards of contaminated soil and buried wastes.
The wastes were transported off site and the site was backfilled and graded in mid-1987. The
State has been collecting annual groundwater samples from on- and off-site monitoring wells.
The EPA collected additional samples from the interior of the on-site buildings in 1987, 1988,
and 1991. Based on these samples, it was determined that the groundwater does not pose
unacceptable risks and no further cleanup is necessary.
Surface Cleanup: The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers supervised cleanup work, which
consisted of gathering and placing wastes in approved containers, storing wastes that were
spread throughout the yard, draining and decontaminating a buried tank and waste pit, and
constructing a drainage ditch around the site to prevent excessive water from entering. This work
was performed in 1983, and off-site disposal of the collected materials followed in a second
phase, which was completed in 1987.
Site Facts:
Site Facts: The Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, brought a Federal

-------
civil action seeking monetary relief against parties potentially responsible for
wastes at the site. In 1992, a Consent Decree was entered by the court that
required the parties to pay back the cleanup costs incurred.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS	
The removal of wastes to a secure landfill and the establishment of security measures
at the Aidex Corporation site has eliminated the potential for exposure to hazardous materials.
Site cleanup has been completed and the EPA has deleted the site from the NPL. Five-Year
Reviews were conducted in 1993, 1998, and 2004 to determine whether the action taken to
cleanup the site remained effective in protecting human health and the environment. The review
in 2004 determined that the site no longer represents a threat to human health and the
environment and that no further reviews were required.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT	
The site Community Relations Plan was completed in June 1983 and updated in September
1985. EPA convened several public meetings to inform the local community about site cleanup
plans. The meetings were held at the Mills County Courthouse in Glenwood, Iowa on the
following dates: May 12, 1983; November 28, 1984; July 31, 1986; and July 23, 1991. EPA
prepared and distributed fact sheets about site cleanup activities to the local community in July
1985; July 1986; and November 1990. EPA distributed a press release on February 24, 1984 to
announce a 21-day comment period for the public to provide input on the Remedial
Investigation/Feasibility Study. EPA placed an advertisement in The Glenwood Opinion
Tribune on August 4, 1993, to announce a public comment period related to the proposed
deletion of the Aidex Site from the National Priorities List.

-------
SITE REPOSITORY
Glenwood City Hall, 107 S. Locust Superfund Records Center
Street, Glenwood, IA 51534	901 N. 5th St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Mail Stop SUPR
(913)551-7166
REGIONAL CONTACTS
SITE MANAGER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
Amer Safadi
safadi. amer@epa. gov
(913)551-7825
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
COORDINATOR:
PHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
STATE CONTACT:
PHONE NUMBER:
Dianna Whitaker
(913)551-7598
whitaker.dianna@epa.gov
Robert Drustrup
(515)281-8900
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
STATE:	IA
0706
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:	05
EPA ORGANIZATION:	SFD-IANE/SUPRI
MODIFICATIONS
Created by:	Karla	Created Date:	11/13/97 10:24 AM
Asb erry/SUPRFUND/R7/U S
EPA/US
Last Modified by: Dianna	Last Modified Date: 05/30/2007 08:04 AM
Whitaker/OEP/R7/U SEP A/
US

-------