v>EPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

For more information

For questions, comments or more
information on the Amphenol
investigation, contact these EPA
team members:

For general in formation
Ruth Muhtsun
Community Involvement
Coordinator
312-886-6595
Muhtsun.ruth@epa.gov

Rafael P. Gonzalez

Community Involvement
Coordinator
312-886-0269
gonzalez.rafaelp@epa.gov

For technical information
Carolyn Bury
Project Manager
Remediation Branch
EPA Region 5

77 W. Jackson Blvd. (LU-16J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
312-886-3020
bury.carolyn@epa.gov

EPA toll-free at 800-621-8431,

weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

You may see site-related
documents at EPA's Regional
office, 7th Floor Records Center,
Metcalfe Federal Building, 77 W.
Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

or visit

https ://www. epa. gov/in/amphenol
franklin-power-products-franklin-
ind#documents

Groundwater Cleanup Pilot
Study Uses Innovative Method

Former Amphenol Facility

Franklin, Indiana	December 2019

Late this October, Amphenol Corp. completed the first phase of a pilot
study to see whether contaminated groundwater near the former
facility can be cleaned up by injecting a commercial liquid product
into the ground, which was developed for the specific conditions at the
site. The product, called "PlumeStop™," is a mixture of activated
carbon and iron and was injected into the ground at two places in the
neighborhood south of the site (see figure, next page).

A pilot study is a small test, like an experiment, planned to evaluate
whether a cleanup approach could be successful. If this test is
successful, then EPA will require a plan to expand the treatment to
contaminated groundwater in other areas. "Groundwater" is an
environmental term for underground supplies of fresh water or water
moving or held between soil and rock particles underground.

The groundwater is contaminated with chemicals (called volatile
organic compounds) that can turn into vapors, rise through the soil and
enter buildings through cracks and holes. Carbon mixtures have been
used successfully to treat groundwater with this type of contamination
at EPA sites around the country. A fact sheet about activated carbon
treatment of groundwater plumes can be found at
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-
04/documents/l 00001159.pdf.

How the mixture works

In the ground, the carbon mixture will first stick to soil particles and
then trap chemicals from the groundwater on the carbon and soil
particles. Then, the reactive iron in the mixture will break apart the
chemicals to form safe compounds that do not turn into vapor.

This process will repeat and continue to clean the groundwater. If the
study is successful, groundwater treatment will be designed to reach
the target cleanup level, which is based on both drinking water
standards and levels that will not cause vapor intrusion into homes.

1


-------
1 ~on	GROUNDWATER TCE

FORMER AMPHENOl RF1/CMS 980 HURRICANE ROAD. FRANKLIN, INDIANA

For the study, a groundwater
treatment mixture of carbon
and iron was pumped into the
ground under low pressure.
The carbon sticks to the Soil
particles and traps chemicals.
The highly reactive iron breaks
down the chemicals into safe
components.

Figure showing where groundwater treatment
mixture was injected into the ground on
Hamilton Avenue and North Forsythe Street. The
first groundwater sampling event was will be in
November and then monthly until enough data is
collected to assess the study.

2


-------