EPA Proposes $31 Million Plan for Contaminated Groundwater at Superfund Site
EPA
has released a comprehensive cleanup plan for the trichloroethylene
(TCE)-contaminated groundwater at the Moses Lake Wellfield
Contamination Superfund site. The proposed cleanup is expected to cost
about $31 million.
"This cleanup plan takes steps that will protect human health and
the environment and restore groundwater quality," said Lori Cohen,
EPA's associate director of the Office of Environmental Cleanup.
The site is located just north of Moses Lake in eastern Washington
state and includes the Grant County Airport, the former Larson Air
Force Base, and areas south of the airport. The groundwater and soils
at the site were contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and other
hazardous substances by operations of the former base and industrial
activities associated with the aircraft industry.
Approximately 1000 acres of groundwater are contaminated with TCE
above health based standards and several contaminated soil waste areas
are scattered throughout the site. TCE is an industrial solvent that
was commonly used at this site for stripping paint from airplanes,
washing airplane parts and cleaning missile components.
The public comment period ends March 7. The proposed cleanup plan is available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/sites/moses.