Remedial Section

Risk-based Standards for Kansas Manual Updated With New Tables
KDHE/BER has updated the Appendices of the 2010 RSK Manual. The complete manual may be downloaded at the above link. Any questions regarding these changes and their effects on the management of a contaminated site may be directed to the KDHE project manager.

BNSF-Wellington Rail Yard Site Voluntary Cleanup Plan Addendum
KDHE has accepted a Voluntary Cleanup Plan Addendum submitted for the Former Fueling Facility at the BNSF-Wellington Rail Yard Site located at 1315 First Street, Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas. KDHE will accept written comments from the public concerning the proposed Voluntary Cleanup Plan Addendum during a 15-day public comment period beginning on March 05, 2014, and ending on March 19, 2014. This notice is provided in accordance with Kansas Administrative Regulation, K.A.R.28-71-12(a), established pursuant to the Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Act (Kansas Statutes Annotated 65-34,161 through 65-34-174).

The Voluntary Cleanup Plan Addendum may be reviewed online, or hard copy is available at KDHE's offices in Topeka, Kansas. If requested, KDHE will make a hard copy available for review at the South Central District Office in Wichita, Kansas. Requests for review and written comments should be directed to:

VCPRP Coordinator
KDHE Bureau of Environmental Remediation
1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 410
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785-296-8064; Fax 785-296-7030

Elevator Groundwater Containment System Constructed in Salina

The former Bunge grain elevator is located at 1112 N. Halstead road, approximately a mile and a half southwest of the I-70 and I-135 interchange in Salina. Soil and groundwater is contaminated with carbon tetrachloride and chloroform, a degradation product of carbon tetrachloride. These chemicals are associated with grain fumigants formerly used and stored at the facility. Investigations identified release(s) of grain fumigant in the vicinity of a former above-ground storage tank and groundwater contamination had migrated beyond the property boundaries. Some private wells were contaminated with carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. Impacted residences have been connected to a rural water supply.

A half mile long Groundwater Containment System (GCS) was completed in June 2013 as an interim remedial measure to capture contaminated groundwater migrating from the grain elevator. The objective of the GCS is to maintain hydraulic control of the groundwater plume in the vicinity of the down-gradient property boundary through active extraction, treatment, and discharge.

The GCS is designed control groundwater migration by pumping groundwater from 15 extraction wells (blue dots) and transferring it to an air stripper located inside the groundwater treatment building (orange square). The air stripper consists of six perforated trays creating turbulent flow and a high air-to-liquid surface area for efficient removal of volatile organic compounds. The treated groundwater is then discharged to Mulberry Creek via subsurface piping and a constructed outfall.

The GCS has operated continuously since starting up in June 2013. Initial performance data indicate the system successfully depresses the groundwater surface, resulting in a significant zone of containment along the southern property boundary and preventing off-site migration of contaminated groundwater.

State Water Plan Annual Report 2013 (.pdf)
This annual report describes the activities of the State Water Plan Program.

Bureau of Environmental Remediation Staff Attend Groundbreaking Ceremonies for a New Development in Kansas City to Create 2,000 Jobs
Rick Bean and Chris Carey, Bureau of Environmental Remediation (BER) attended a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate redevelopment of an 80-acre brownfields property in the Fairfax District in Kansas City. The property was the location of a former General Motors facility and is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons. After General Motors filed for bankruptcy in 2009, the property was transferred to the RACER Trust for remediation. KDHE BER has worked closely with the RACER Trust (holders of the property) and NorthPoint Development Company to coordinate remediation efforts with property redevelopment. The property, now called the Central Industrial Park (CIP), will accommodate three to eight modern manufacturing businesses and create up to 2,000 new jobs in the Kansas City area.

Speakers for both the Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the RACER Trust thanked KDHE for their assistance and leadership to move the project forward. Greg Kindle, representing the Council stated, "This sort of successful collaborative effort isn't just an economic development boon for Fairfax. It's also an inspiring case study." Mark Holland, Mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas indicated, "This project is a symbol to the rest of the metro area and the nation that this is what you can do, even on a brownfield. This partnership shows what we can do by turning a brownfield site into 2,000 jobs." According to Unified Government officials, this project will be the first development in Fairfax in more than 25 years. This property has been vacant and unproductive for over 20 years, partially because of the environmental contamination issues. Inergy, a gas tank manufacturer, will be the first tenant of the CIP. BER, RACER, and NorthPoint are working in a cooperative partnership to cleanup a major source of hydrocarbon contamination during construction of the Inergy facility. It is anticipated that approximately 11,400 tons of contaminated soil will be removed from the area.

KC Real Estate: 'A Big Day For KCK.'
MetroWireMedia, December 13, 2013.

Montgomery County Blood Lead Screening
KDHE's Kansas Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Prevention Program, in partnership with the Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics (BEPHI), Bureau of Environmental Remediation (BER), the City of Cherryvale and the Montgomery County Health Department held a free blood lead screening clinic on Nov. 13 and 14 in Cherryvale at a local community building. The clinic was provided to all residents - children and adults - of Montgomery County. The purpose of the clinic was to give Montgomery County residents an opportunity for a free assessment of their blood lead levels. A total of 133 citizens were screened during the clinic.

State and local health officials were on hand to answer questions and provide information on sources of lead exposure and potential health outcomes. In addition, BER representatives provided educational materials to citizens pertaining to the National Zinc Company site, located in Cherryvale. The site was a zinc smelting facility operating from 1898 to 1976 that generated large volumes of solid waste which was historically used as fill material in the Cherryvale community. These waste materials can be contaminated with heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and/or zinc. BER is currently overseeing investigation activities to determine the extent of soil contamination in the City of Cherryvale. Additional information for the site is available at the National Zinc site webpage.

New Fairfax development announced, could create up to 2,000 jobs.
Kansas City Kansan, September 30, 2013.

NorthPoint, RACER Trust close sale in KCK's Fairfax area.
Wyandotte Daily News, September 30, 2013.

Kansas State classes get a lesson in environmental remediation.
Environmental Monitor, September 20, 2013.

City moving forward with Memorial Hall, Riverfront Park.
Fort Scott Tribune, September 19, 2013.

Perfect Matchmaking in KC.
Brownfield Renewal.

NuStar Pipeline Release North Andover Site, Andover, Kansas
BER facilitated a meeting with residents of the Quail Crossing Homeowners Association in Andover, Kansas, on August 29, 2013, to discuss a petroleum pipeline release near their homes. Contamination at the site was first identified in June 2012 when a property owner noticed petroleum hydrocarbons in his irrigation well, which is located near a NuStar Pipeline Operating Partnership, L.P. (NuStar) pipeline running through the area. Excavation activities conducted in fall 2012 identified a seep. There was significant soil impact in a 50-foot section, and impacted soil was excavated when the pipeline was repaired. Sample results show that soil and groundwater were also impacted.

Over 35 residents attended the meeting, where BER provided preliminary investigation results, discussed the next steps for investigation and cleanup, and listened to community concerns. BER will continue by developing a Community Involvement Plan, which will enable BER to better understand the community's concerns, determine the best ways in which to disseminate information about the investigation and cleanup, and engage concerned residents in the decision-making processes.

Former Coastal Refinery Engineered Wetland
The Bureau of Environmental Remediation has collaborated with El Paso Merchant Energy-Petroleum Company, Kinder Morgan, Inc., and MWH Global to conduct the cleanup of an environmentally contaminated site in south-central, Kansas. The Coastal Refinery Site, located just north of El Dorado, Kansas, encompasses approximately 400 acres. The refinery was built and began operating in 1917. After refining operations were discontinued in 1993, asphalt blending and terminal operations continued at the site until 2004. Interim remedial measures have been conducted at the site in an effort to meet waste water pond closure requirements and to address petroleum and impacted groundwater and soil and chlorinated-impacted groundwater.

Demolition of the above grade processing units and storage tanks (above) and installation of a groundwater recovery trench was completed in 2006. Pond closure and construction of an alternate water treatment system began in 2011. Contaminated soil, pond sediment, and on-site concrete fines were collected in the west pond and stabilized to reduce contaminant mobility. Additional petroleum impacted soil from the central portion of the site was spread out in approximately 8-inch thick lifts within four landfarm cells that totaled 26.6 acres.

Engineered wetlands were constructed in the former waste water ponds to satisfy the need for stable, long-term, low energy, and low cost groundwater treatment (below left). Impacted groundwater flows from the interceptor trench and an on-site basin into an underground oil/water separator followed by a cascading aerator and then into a precipitation/settling basin before reaching the wetlands. The wetlands consist of three stages to treat contaminants by volatilization, biodegradation, sorption, and phytoremediation. Wetland construction activities were completed in spring 2013 and have effectively provided treatment to contaminated groundwater at the site (below right).

University Students Help Reduce Nitrate Levels at Kansas Site.
Kansas State University, August 27, 2013.

Maggie Weiser, KDHE's Brownfields Program Coordinator Discusses the Brownfields Program

Recent Kansas Brownfields Program Accomplishments
The Kansas Brownfields Program has recently been instrumental in the redevelopment of two brownfields properties. The 0 West Third Street site in Cherryvale is a successfully remediated property that in the past had lead-contaminated smelter waste used as fill material. The Leavenworth Hotel BTA brownfields site cleared the way to redevelop 16 properties in Leavenworth into a new Mariott Brand Hotel and Convention Center.

• City of Cherryvale, 0 West Third Street (.pdf)
• Leavenworth Hotel BTA (.pdf)

Landie Aluminum Smelter/Rose Lile Property
The Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program has recently issued a No Further Action Determination for the Landie Aluminum Smelter/Rose Lile Property site. This is the first VCPRP project completed as a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP), which provides an innovative funding source to address a limited number of qualifying environmentally contaminated sites, thus protecting public health and the environment in a timely manner.

KDHE Funds Environment Assessment on InterUrban ArtHouse Facility Site.
From InterUrban ArtHouse, July 29, 2013.

Brownfields Program Awarded Grant Funds
BER's Brownfields Program has been selected to receive $600,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup (ARC) Grants program. BER collaborated with the City of Chanute, the Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority, and the City of Ottawa to submit a Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant application in November 2012. The ARC grant process is part of an annual national competition, and KDHE, along with its coalition partners, is one of the 240 selected recipients in 45 states to receive ARC grants for 2013. This grant will allow KDHE to reach out to more neighborhoods that might not otherwise have access to resources to address redevelopment of blighted areas in their communities.

A majority of the ARC grant funds will be used for the assessment and cleanup planning of approximately 60 brownfields properties located within the coalition target communities of Chanute, Fort Scott and Ottawa. Upon completion of the brownfields process, future use of these properties may include, but are not limited to, manufacturing, community centers, greenspaces and recreational areas.

While most of the assessment funds will be used in coalition areas in Chanute, Fort Scott and Ottawa, remaining funds will be applied across Kansas.

2013 Brownfields Coalition Grant Brochure

Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Manual (.pdf)
KDHE is happy to provide an updated Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program Manual. The new version is more user-friendly and is designed to better serve voluntary parties and other program participants.

State Cooperative Program: Protecting Human Health on a Path to Restoration and Revitalization (.pdf)
KDHE has updated its State Cooperative Program guidance for June 2011.

Remedial Section Staff Directory

Name	Title	Email	Phone
Administration
Rick Bean, P. G.	Section Chief	rbean@kdheks.gov	785-296-1675
Whitney Cohee	Administrative Assistant	wcohee@kdheks.gov	785-296-4306
Kerry Dick	Administrative Assistant	kdick@kdheks.gov	785-296-1660
Glenna Drake	Environmental Scientist	gdrake@kdheks.gov	785-296-6379
Joyce Kroll	Administrative Assistant	jkkroll@kdheks.gov	785-296-3001
Marcia Morgan	Administrative Specialist	mmorgan@kdheks.gov	785-296-1673
Kimberley Munoz	Administrative Specialist	kmunoz@kdheks.gov	785-296-5677
Tamy Simmons	Administrative Specialist	tsimmons@kdheks.gov	785-296-3393
Site Assessment Unit
Randy Brown, P. G.	Unit Manager	rbrown@kdheks.gov	785-296-8065
Michael Costlow	Environmental Technician	mcostlow@kdheks.gov	785-296-1680
Mike LaBuda	Environmental Technician	mlabuda@kdheks.gov	785-296-6226
Nicholas Schneider	Environmental Scientist	nschneider@kdheks.gov	785-296-1671
Jon Vopata, P. G.	Environmental Scientist	jvopata@kdheks.gov	785-296-8063
Site Remediation Unit
Ryan Weiser, P. G.	Unit Manager	rweiser@kdheks.gov	785-291-3255
Jessica Crossman, P. G.	Professional Geologist	jcrossman@kdheks.gov	785-291-3066
Corena Carpenter	Environmental Scientist	ccarpenter@kdheks.gov	785-296-1676
Mary Daily, P. G.	Professional Geologist	mdaily@kdheks.gov	785-296-8896
Andrew Hollenbach	Geology Associate	ahollenbach@kdheks.gov	785-296-6437
Site Restoration Unit
Chris Carey, P. G.	Unit Manager	ccarey@kdheks.gov	785-296-0225
Holly Burke	Environmental Scientist	hburke@kdheks.gov	785-296-6242
Pam Chaffee, P. G.	Professional Geologist	pchaffee@kdheks.gov	785-296-0969
John Cook, P. G.	Professional Geologist	johncook@kdheks.gov	785-296-8986
Pamela Green	Environmental Scientist	pgreen@kdheks.gov	785-296-1935
Kevin Moon	Geology Associate	kmoon@kdheks.gov	785-296-3866
Maura O'Halloran, P. G.	Professional Geologist	mohalloran@kdheks.gov	785-296-0268
Margaret Townsend, P. G.	Environmental Scientist	mtownsend@kdheks.gov	785-296-1936
State Response and Property Redevelopment Unit
Doug Doubek, P. G.	Unit Manager	ddoubek@kdheks.gov	785-291-3246
Farrell Dallen	Environmental Scientist	fdallen@kdheks.gov	785-296-1669
Ben Haring	Geology Associate	bharing@kdheks.gov	785-296-5531
Kaitlin Salley	Geology Associate	ksalley@kdheks.gov	785-296-1681
Maggie Weiser	State Brownfields Coordinator	mweiser@kdheks.gov	785-296-5519
Tiffini Wells	Environmental Scientist	twells@kdheks.gov	785-296-1665
Voluntary Cleanup Unit
Deanna Ross, P. G.	Unit Manager	dross@kdheks.gov	785-296-8064
Stuart Aller	Environmental Scientist	saller@kdheks.gov	785-291-3807
Bryan Bain	Environmental Scientist	bbain@kdheks.gov	785-296-5548
Robert Benne	Environmental Scientist	rbenne@kdheks.gov	785-291-3247
Russ England	Environmental Scientist	rengland@kdheks.gov	785-296-5555
Darryl Morgan, P. G.	Professional Geologist	dmorgan@kdheks.gov	785-291-3244
Gary Richards	Environmental Scientist	grichards@kdheks.gov	785-296-6380
Andrea Schiller	Environmental Scientist	aschiller@kdheks.gov	785-296-0489
Kelsee Wheeler	Environmental Scientist	kwheeler@kdheks.gov	785-296-1541
Scott Williamson	Geology Associate	swilliamson@kdheks.gov	785-296-5742