Jump to main content.

Fact Sheet

October 2007

Cleanup Action to Begin, Plating Inc., Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas

Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin a cleanup action at the Plating Inc. site in Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas the week of October 8, 2007.  Several thousand gallons of plating solutions will be removed from the facility. This cleanup removal action is expected to be completed within a month. 

Past operations at the site included metal plating with zinc and chromium.  During these operations hazardous wastes were generated.

Background

The Plating Inc. site is in an industrial area at the Great Bend Airport surrounded by agricultural land.  In 1988 the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) detected soil contamination and documented the facility had been operating without air pollution control systems.  Soil was excavated and a chromium fume scrubber was installed to prevent recontamination of the soil. 

In 1991 sampling revealed that the ground water was contaminated with chromium.  In 1994 KDHE and Plating Inc. signed an order which led to the facility installing a shallow remedial well to contain and remediate the shallow plume.  In 2002 an additional remedial well was installed.   In 2005 the facility ceased operations.  In 2006 KDHE discovered several tanks of plating solutions that were abandoned and possibly leaking.

Domestic water supply wells for two businesses have been impacted by the contamination and KDHE is currently providing bottled water to these businesses. 

The Contamination

Inside the facility are drums and tanks containing corrosive and toxic plating solutions.  Some of the containers show signs of deterioration and leakage and could potentially release their contents.  Until the containers are removed, they will continue to deteriorate and pose a risk of potential release of the hazardous plating solutions.  Materials contaminated with the plating solutions constitute other hazardous waste at the site which will need to be removed. 

Cleanup Removal Action

This cleanup removal action will quickly address the potential threat to human health and the environment that is posed by the tanks and drums and the risk that hazardous contents could leak from them.

The objectives of the removal are to:

Additional Information

Questions or requests for information can be submitted to:

Fritz Hirter
Office of Public Affairs
U.S. EPA Region 7
901 N. 5th St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Toll free:  (800) 223-0425
e-mail: hirter.fritz@epa.gov

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.