Investigation/Corrective Action Procedures

Investigation:
Initially, a Preliminary Site Evaluation (PSE) may be conducted at the site. The purpose of the PSE is to identify the source of contamination and to identify any potential targets that may be affected by the contamination. If the source for the contamination is identified, and a responsible party is determined, then the site will be transferred to a more appropriate program to address the contamination. A total of 50 sites have been transferred to other programs based on the ability of the State Water Plan Program to identify responsible parties at orphan sites. If, after the PSE, a responsible party has not been identified, KDHE may conduct a Contamination Assessment to determine the full extent of contamination at the site. This investigation will assist the program if corrective action measures at the site will be needed at a later date.

Long Term Monitoring:
Once an investigation is completed, if no responsible party is identified, the site will be evaluated and prioritized for corrective action activities. If conditions at the site require corrective action, but the site ranks low in priority, the site will be placed in Long Term Monitoring until funding for cleanup becomes available. If contamination conditions at the site do not require cleanup activities and do not yet meet reclassification criteria as described in KDHE policy BER-RS-024, the site will be placed in Long Term Monitoring until such time that it meets reclassification criteria, or conditions at the site warrant further KDHE response activities. Once a site meets reclassification criteria, the site will be reclassified as resolved and removed from the program.

Corrective Action:
If no responsible party is found, and site conditions justify it, a Corrective Action Study (CAS) will be performed at the site. The main objectives of the CAS are to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost of at least two potential remedial actions based on the findings of investigations previously conducted at the site, and to evaluated the "no action" alternative. The CAS will also recommend and justify a specific corrective action for the site and determine the health and environmental effects of the remedial action.

Once the remedial action alternative is selected, the site will be prioritized among other State Water Plan Program corrective action candidates. When funding becomes available, KDHE initiates corrective action activities for sites based on priority. Due to the elevated cost of corrective action activities, State Water Plan Program usually has the funding to conduct one to two smaller cleanups each fiscal year. Larger cleanups may require State Water Plan Program funds over several years in order to obtain the funding necessary to conduct the cleanup.

Cleanup activities at a particular site may range from installing a pump and treat system on a contaminated well to addressing ground water contamination, to stabilizing and/or removing contaminated soil. The program also designs and installs water lines and/or treatments systems to provide safe drinking water to residences with contaminated private drinking water wells.

Once cleanup activities have been completed, the site may be placed into KDHE's Long Term Monitoring program until the site can be reclassified as resolved and removed from the program. A total of 34 sites have been resolved in the program either through cleanup or long-term monitoring.