![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Piper Aircraft/Vero Beach Water and Sewer
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Ground water treatment system on Piper Aircraft site.
- Additional Site Photos
- Site Video
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD004054284Location: Vero Beach, Indian River County, FL
Lat/Long: 27.647490, -080.415550
Congressional District: 15
NPL Status: Proposed: 06/10/86; Final: 02/21/90
Affected Media: Ground water
Cleanup Status: Construction Complete - Physical cleanup activities have been completed.
Site Reuse/Redevelopment: Continued Industrial Use - The facility continues to manufacture small commuter and business airplanes.
Site Manager: Samantha Urquhart-Foster (urquhart-foster.samantha@epa.gov)
Site Background
The Piper Aircraft/Vero Beach Water and Sewer site is located on the southeastern corner of the Vero Beach Municipal Airport in Indian River County, Florida. Piper Aircraft operates an active facility that manufactures small commuter and business airplanes. The facility occupies approximately eight acres within a larger 84-acre complex that includes buildings used for primary manufacturing of general aviation aircraft for worldwide sales. Piper Aircraft used trichloroethylene (TCE) in the assembly process of airplanes and component parts, and stored large quantities of the chemical solvent in an underground storage tank on the site.
Threats and Contaminants
Soil and ground water contamination at the site was due to a leak from an underground tank containing TCE, a volatile organic compound (VOC). TCE, and related breakdown products, were detected in a city well located less than 0.5 miles south of the site.
Site Cleanup Plan
The Record of Decision (ROD) for the site was issued in 1993. Major cleanup elements for the site included:
- Air stripping of VOCs to meet surface water discharge criteria.
- Existing water line and extraction well use to the extent practical.
- Installation of additional extraction wells to effectively capture the entire plume.
- Surface discharge of treated ground water in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations and other required performance standards.
- Modeling of air emissions and/or analysis of actual air emissions from the ground water treatment unit will be conducted during the Remedial Design and/or Remedial Action in order to determine the need for air emission control equipment to assure compliance with state and federal air quality standards.
Cleanup Progress
Shortly after the TCE leak was detected, the City of Vero Beach and Piper Aircraft installed a ground water pump-and-treat system under the oversight of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER).
In June 1989, Piper removed the underground storage tank and excavated the contaminated soil surrounding and beneath that tank.
Piper Aircraft installed a new ground water extraction and treatment system as specified in the Remedial Design and this system has been operational since 1998.
Currently, Piper Aircraft is working with EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to augment the treatment process by conducting a bioremediation pilot study. The goal of this study is to determine if a more effective and faster cleanup of ground water contamination can be achieved.
Enforcement Activities
In October 1981, Piper Aircraft entered into a Consent Agreement with FDER for the remediation of the TCE-contaminated ground water using the extraction well and aeration system that had been installed in 1979. The pump-and-treat system successfully reduced TCE levels through June of 1989.
Piper Aircraft signed a Consent Agreement with EPA on November 7, 1995 which required the company to implement the selected remedy at the site. The Consent Decree also incorporated a Statement of Work Plan which provided additional detail regarding the remedial design, construction and operating processes.
Community Involvement
EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities at the Piper Aircraft site to solicit community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about site activities throughout the site cleanup process. Outreach activities have included public notices and interviews.
Fact Sheets
- Reuse Fact Sheet (PDF) (1 pg, 826K, About PDF)
- Explanation of Significant Differences (PDF) (7 pg, 4.15MB, About PDF)
Future Work
Ground water will continue to be monitored for specific VOCs and treated until the cleanup goals are reached.
A bioremediation ground water remedy pilot study is currently underway.
Site Administrative Documents
Site Repository
For more information or to view any site-related documents, please visit the site information repository at the following location. As new documents are generated, they will be placed in the information repository for public information.
Indian River County Main Library
1600 21st Street
Vero Beach, FL 32960
Administrative Record Index
- OU-1 (PDF) (21 pp, 827K, About PDF)
For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.