Nitrate Contaminated Sites and Land Application Guideline

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Nitrate Contaminated Sites

Cleaning up contaminated sites and removing environmental threats to protect public health and the environment is the primary function of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment/Bureau of Environmental Remediation (KDHE/BER). As such, KDHE/BER has gained experience with cleaning up contaminated sites and has learned that certain approaches and technologies are more effective, expedient, and less costly than others for a particular contaminant and situation. A presumptive remedy is a preferred technology or cleanup process for a common category of contamination and site. This nitrate presumptive remedy has evolved from KDHE/BER's experience. An example of a presumptive remedy KDHE/BER endorses is excavation and land application of soil contaminated by nitrate/ammonia. Advantages of using a presumptive remedy over going through the conventional remedial action selection process include:

• Saves time and money - often, if a presumptive remedy is selected to clean up a contaminated site the usual Corrective Action Study, and Corrective Action Plan research and documentation efforts can be eliminated.
• Helps promote consistency in the remedial action selection - ensures that similar cleanup strategies are used for similar types of contaminants and situations.
• Improves the predictability of the remedial action selection process - allows interested parties to review previous actions taken at similar sites, thereby increasing their comfort level in accepting the selected remedy and hastening the selection of the cleanup strategy.

KDHE/BER expects that the use of presumptive remedies will streamline cleanup actions while improving consistency, reducing costs, and speeding remediation. The US Environmental Protection Agency also promotes the use of presumptive remedies. For more information on presumptive remedies you may visit the USEPA website at http://www.epa.gov/oerrpage/superfund/resources/presump/.

To view the Scope of Work for a Nitrate Presumptive Remedy, select PDF or Microsoft Word document below:

• BER-RS-047 - Scope of Work for a Nitrate Presumptive Remedy (.pdf)
• BER-RS-047 - Scope of Work for a Nitrate Presumptive Remedy (Microsoft Word)

Land Application Guideline

GUIDANCE FOR REMEDIATION OF SOIL FROM AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL INCIDENTS BY LAND APPLICATION

The following guidance and instructions will assist in preparing a land application work plan for the spreading of soil or water contaminated by agricultural chemicals including pesticides, herbicides, and/or fertilizers, including soil conditioners. Land application may begin after the land application work plan is approved by KDHE. The land application work plan must include the following items:

• Land Application Work Plan. All questions are to be answered and all blank spaces filled with the appropriate information. Include legible copies of all required maps with the application site clearly marked. Note, faxed maps are usually illegible. Include copies of all analytical data.

Land Application Work Plan (.pdf)


• Land Application Calculation Form. This form provides a summary of the analytical results used to calculate the land application rates. The method of determining the representative concentration must be documented.

Land Application Calculation Form (.pdf)


• Land Application Agreement Form. This form must be completed and signed by the landowner where the contaminated soil is being applied.

  Land Application Agreement Form (.pdf)