| The Lee Chemical Superfund Site (site) is located along Missouri Highway 210 in Liberty, Missouri, approximately 15 miles east of Kansas City, Missouri. Currently, the site is a vacant lot of approximately 2.5 acres in a flat alluvial plain. The City of Liberty (City) has a municipal well field located approximately 0.40 miles southeast of the site. There are nine municipal water wells situated in a north-south line in the alluvial aquifer at an approximately perpendicular angle to the site. Historically, the City leased the land to the Lee Chemical Company, but then filed suit against Lee Chemical Company in 1975 for nonpayment of rent. The City then found and removed approximately 300 abandoned 55-gallon drums containing chemicals and wastes. In 1979, low levels of trichloroethene (TCE) were detected in the public water supply wells. Subsequent EPA and State investigations revealed contaminated groundwater and soil, and in 1982 the City and State identified the site as a source of TCE contamination in the public water supply. The current remedy in place for the Lee Chemical Superfund Site consists of the operation of an in situ aqueous soil washing system, the extraction of groundwater from extraction wells (EX) EX-1 and PW-2, and the discharge of the extracted groundwater from both extraction wells to a single, permitted outfall to Town Branch Creek. This Remedial Action (RA) is continually monitored and reported on through monthly and quarterly progress reports. The site remedy was considered Operational and Functional (O&F) on March 26, 1994. Recommendations are provided to improve remedy effectiveness, provide technical improvement, and gain site closure. |