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EPA to Host Public Meeting July 16 for Sporlan Valve Plant #1 Superfund Site in Washington, Missouri

07/15/2019

Contact Information:

913-551-7364

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., July 15, 2019) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a Public Meeting for the Sporlan Valve Plant #1 Superfund Site on Tuesday, July 16. The site is located at 611 E. 7th Street in Washington, Missouri. Trichloroethylene (TCE) is the primary contaminant of concern.

The meeting will be held:

Tuesday, July 16, 2019
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Knights of Columbus #1121
Lower Level Hall
1121 Columbus Lane
Washington, MO 63090

In May 2019, EPA announced its decision to place the site on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a list of the nation’s hazardous waste sites with the highest priority for cleanup. The site is eligible for extensive, long-term response action money authorized by Congress under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund law.

The site was first developed as a refrigeration valve manufacturing facility in 1939. TCE was used at the facility as a degreaser and industrial solvent. A release of TCE to the ground has occurred, potentially over several decades, resulting in contaminated soil and groundwater beneath the facility. TCE has been detected in groundwater, soil gas, and indoor air surrounding the site.

A series of actions have been taken to mitigate the threat of vapor intrusion, due to the presence of TCE in shallow groundwater under residential properties adjacent to the site. These actions have included sampling for TCE in homes, installing, and requiring the potentially responsible party to install vapor mitigation systems.

Vapor intrusion is the movement of chemical vapors from contaminated soil and groundwater into nearby buildings. Vapor intrusion mitigation systems can be installed to reduce health risks in buildings where chemical vapors from contaminated soil and groundwater may be inhaled by indoor occupants. At this time, several vapor mitigation systems have been installed at homes near the site.

EPA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. For reasonable accommodations at the Public Meeting, please contact Jonathan Cooper by email at cooper.jonathan@epa.gov.