Site Remediation Unit

State Cooperative Program

The Site Remediation Unit is responsible for administrating the State Cooperative Program, a program through which the department works cooperatively with industry, municipalities, private citizens, and other parties potentially responsible for environmental contamination to investigate and remediate contaminated sites. The program provides professional and objective technical oversight of environmental investigation and remedial activities at contaminated sites to provide quality assurance and quality control. This function is critical to ensure the safety and welfare of people in Kansas and to protect or remediate critical natural resources of the State, including surface water bodies and ground water aquifers which serve as drinking water supplies.

The program endeavors to provide safe drinking water supplies to private water well owners and to public water supplies which are contaminated or threatened by environmental contamination resulting from releases of toxic chemicals into the environment. Participation within the program protects potentially responsible parties from potential Superfund listing and involvement with the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The State Cooperative Program is intended to complement the Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program, providing oversight for contaminated sites precluded from participation in the VCPRP by statute due to the presence of an imminent threat to human health or the environment.

Enforcement

The State Cooperative Program also addresses sites with recalcitrant responsible parties through the use of enforceable consent and unilateral administrative orders.