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Fact Sheet

June 2007

EPA Announces Proposed Plan and Public Meeting, Wright Groundwater Contamination Site, Wright, Kansas

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is releasing a Proposed Plan to prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater at the Wright Groundwater Contamination Site in Wright, Kansas.

EPA is asking for your comments on the Proposed Plan. Although EPA, in consultation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), is recommending an action to address the contamination, a final decision will not be made until EPA evaluates all comments from the public.

A 30-day comment period will run from June 21, 2007 until July 20, 2007. A public meeting will be held on Thursday evening, June 28, at St. Andrew's Parish Center, 11792 Jewel Road, Wright, Kansas. You are invited to attend and present comments at the meeting.

Written comments will be accepted until July 20, 2007. After all comments have been evaluated, the EPA and KDHE will select a remedy, which will be published in a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD will include a summary of EPA's response to comments received during the comment period.

SITE BACKGROUND

The Wright Groundwater Contamination Site is located in the city of Wright which is approximately seven miles northeast of Dodge City in Ford County, Kansas.

The site was discovered in 1988 when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in a groundwater sample collected from a private well. From 1989 through 1994, KDHE and EPA conducted investigations to determine the extent of contamination at the site. The site was placed on the National Priorities List on June 17, 1996. In 1995, the agencies completed an Engineering Evaluation/ Cost Analysis report which was shared with the community. An initial Remedial Investigation (RI) was completed for the site in 1997. The RI has been revised to incorporate additional groundwater data and soil gas samples collected between 1997 and 2007. Since 1997, Wright residents have been connected to the Dodge City water supply.

REMEDIAL ALTERNATIVES

The remedial alternatives considered by EPA are presented below:

Institutional controls use access controls such as voluntary deed and well construction restrictions, and/or local ordinances to prevent potable use of groundwater at the site. Monitoring consists of groundwater sampling to track the contaminant plume. Source control would address residual groundwater contamination.

THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

The EPA recommends Alternative 3 as the Preferred Alternative to address groundwater contamination at the site. Alternative 3 includes groundwater monitoring and implementation of institutional controls such as deed restrictions, restrictive covenants, a local ordinance and/or educational programs. Public education and the proposed restrictions on private wells will minimize risks to residents in the future. Monitoring of the contaminated groundwater will provide a greater level of protection to residents because changes

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Proposed Plan and other site documents are available for public review in the Administrative Record maintained at the following locations:

Senior Citizens Center
10891 Main Street
Wright, Kansas

EPA Region 7
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, Kan.

PUBLIC MEETING AND COMMENT PERIOD

You are invited to attend a public meeting to learn about and comment on the Proposed Plan.

Thursday, June 28, 2007
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
St. Andrew's Parish Center
11792 Jewell Road
Wright, Kansas

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact:

Dianna Whitaker
Office of External Programs
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. Fifth St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: 913-551-7003 or
Toll free: (800) 223-0425
E-mail:whitaker.dianna@epa.gov

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