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Chicago Heights Boulevard Site in St. Louis County, Missouri

The Chicago Heights Boulevard Site involves a contaminated groundwater plume located in an unincorporated area of north St. Louis County, Mo. At some time before 1988, an unknown quantity of the industrial chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) was released at an industrial property located at 9970 Page Avenue, just northwest of the Elmwood Park neighborhood, and traveled through the soil and into the groundwater. Since then, TCE and other contaminants have been detected in groundwater beneath the residential area of Elmwood Park, and TCE vapors have been detected at levels of concern in five residences situated adjacent to the industrial site.

PerkinElmer, Inc., which purchased the industrial property in 1988, has worked with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to identify the extent of the groundwater contamination plume at the site, and has installed vapor mitigation systems in the five affected residences. In September 2012, MDNR transferred regulatory oversight for the site to EPA Region 7.

On Oct. 18, 2012, EPA's proposed Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent was placed on public notice. EPA's agreement, issued under the authority of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), lays out a series of tasks that PerkinElmer has agreed to perform at the site.

The public has until Nov. 19, 2012, to submit comments to EPA Region 7 on the proposed agreement, a copy of which can be viewed by clicking on the link below. As part of the Administrative Record file for the site, copies of the agreement are also available for public inspection at the following three local libraries: St. Louis County Library, 1640 S. Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO 63131; Mid-County Library, 7821 Maryland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105; and Indian Trails Library, 8400 Delport Drive, St. Louis, MO 63114.

Comments on the proposed agreement will be accepted in writing by mail or email, no later than the close of business on Nov. 19, 2012, to: Belinda Young, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Public Affairs, 11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219, young.belinda@epa.gov.

EPA Region 7 will consider all comments submitted during the public comment period, and may seek to modify or decline to enter the final order of the agreement if the Agency determines that comments disclose facts or considerations that indicate the order is inappropriate, improper or inadequate.

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