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Health officials approve crop application of water from Obee Road Superfund site

The Hutchinson News - 3/21/2017

March 21--State and federal health officials have approved a city of Hutchinson request to modify the process for cleanup of contaminated groundwater near the Eaton Hydraulics plant by allowing the water to be used to irrigate crops during the growing season.

In the off-season, officials will continue to run water from the area, known as the Airport subsite of the Obee Road Superfund Site, through the city's Reverse Osmosis plant.

City officials expect the change, while costing an estimated $42,300 to install, to save the city more than $18,800 a year in operating and maintenance costs, according to a study completed for the city by contract engineering firm CDM.

"The change to the remedy described in the Explanation of Significant Difference has been approved by EPA and KDHE, but has not been implemented yet," said KDHE Project Manager Mary Daily in an email. "Equipment is being ordered to make the change to the remedial system to allow the water to be used for irrigation."

The contaminants in the groundwater are volatile organic compounds used in manufacturing, primarily trichloroethene or TCE, which was contained in chemical degreasers and other solvents both Cessna Fluid Power and Farmland Industries used in the area for years, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment documents.

Commingled plumes of contaminated water from both plants extend about 1 1/2 miles from the former plants at Fourth Avenue and Airport Road to the southeast, to just south of the intersection of Obee Road and East Avenue G.

The city and participating parties have been using several methods to clean the water since the late '90s, including air stripping, accomplished by spraying the water into the air so the chemicals in it evaporate, and air sparging, which blows air bubbles into the water for the same effect.

TCE levels, however, have been below the maximum contamination levels for drinking water for the last five years, which is why the city is now proposing use of the water to irrigate about to 190 acres of land at the south edge of the plume.

The Donna Swanson Trust owns the land, currently used for dryland crops, according to county property records.

The irrigation permit has an authorized rate of 267 acre-feet per year, Daily said.

Spray irrigation should continue to reduce TCE levels, but the city must monitor both the irrigation water and soil in the field to ensure they remain below required standards, according to the plan.

"Accumulation of TCE in row crops is not expected," according to the plan, prepared by CDM. "Kansas row crops are herbaceous plants, which have a limited uptake period and tend to release TCE to the air."

"Given the already low concentrations of TCE and degradation compounds in groundwater from the extraction well, the modified remedy will result in negligible exposures to farm workers that could be exposed to contaminants in irrigation water, air, or soil," the plan states. "The modified remedy does not appear to increase the potential human health or ecological risk, or alter the protectiveness of the remedy."

The proposal, called an Explanation of Significant Difference or ESD, is available for public review at the Hutchinson Public Library by inquiring at the Reference Desk. The report is also available through the KDHE website at http://www.kdheks.gov/remedial/isl_disclaimer.html.

"KDHE is not offering a public comment period (on the plan)," Daily said.

However, if anyone has questions about the plan or the Obee Road Superfund Site they may reach Daily at Mary.Daily@ks.gov or (785) 296-8896.

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(c)2017 The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kan.)

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