Fourth Five-Year Review to Begin, Waverly Ground Water Contamination Superfund Site, Waverly, Lancaster County, Nebraska
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts regular five-year checkups, called five-year reviews, on Superfund sites where cleanups have been completed. These reviews are required by the Superfund law [42 U.S.C. Section 9621(c)] to make sure the site remains safe and the cleanup actions continue to protect human health and the environment.
EPA's first five-year review of the Waverly site was completed in September 1993. That review concluded the selected remedy was effective in controlling the migration of contaminated water from the site and was progressing toward cleanup and restoration of the aquifer.
The second five-year review was completed in September 1999 and the third was completed in September 2004. Both these reviews concluded the remedy continues to perform as designed and is protective of human health and the environment.
EPA has started the process of gathering the information necessary for the fourth five-year review.
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), operated a federal grain storage facility at the site between 1952 and 1974. The facility consisted of grain storage structures on concrete foundations. There were approximately 100 bins and 13 Quonset huts. A grain fumigant consisting of 80 percent carbon tetrachloride and 20 percent carbon disulfide was used at the facility between 1955 and 1965.
Since 1975, the former federal facility property has been owned by Lancaster County, Nebraska, which operates a district office and maintenance facility on the premises. Some of the original grain storage foundations still exist at the site. In 1982, as part of a nationwide survey, EPA sampled the Waverly municipal water system. The results indicated carbon tetrachloride and chloroform contamination of Public Water Supply Well Numbers 1 and 3. Sampling conducted in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986 also showed high levels of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. Between 1982 and 1987, four new Public Water Supply Wells were installed south of the site. All contaminated wells were taken out of service. In May 1986, EPA developed an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA). It included a ground water pump-and-treat system that employed air stripping technology along with soil vapor extraction. In 1988 construction began on the system.
The ground water extraction and air stripping systems were designed to remove the contaminants from the aquifer and help contain the spread of the contaminated ground water plume. The active soil vapor extraction system was designed to remove the contaminants from soil above the water table. The USDA continues to collect and analyze ground water data to ensure the system is operating as designed. EPA continues to review all monitoring reports to ensure human health and the environment are protected.
The Five-Year ReviewThe five-year review process includes:
- The review and analysis of existing monitoring and operational data
- The review of site information gathered since the previous five-year review.
- The inspection of the site to visually confirm and document the condition of the remedy.
EPA will conduct an inspection of the site. The current site information will be reviewed by EPA and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to make sure the remedy continues to be protective. We encourage the community to tell us about site conditions or any concerns.
At the end of the review, a final report will be prepared and will be available in the site information repositories.
Detailed site information, including the previous five-year review reports, is available at the following locations:
Waverly City Hall
14130 Lancashire St.
EPA Records Center
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, Kansas
Questions or requests for information can be submitted to:
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7 -- 901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll free: 1-800-223-0425