Public Notice: Chemical Commodities Inc. Superfund Site, Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas

Summary

Third Five-Year Review Completed

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has completed the Third Five-Year Review for the Chemical Commodities, Inc. Superfund site. Five-Year Reviews are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund, when hazardous substances remain on-site above levels that permit unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. Five-Year Reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the site remedy to determine whether it remains protective of human health and the environment.

The current Five-Year Review found the remedy at the site is not currently protective of human health and the environment. Contamination in the soil under the site cap is still impacting the groundwater, and the contaminated groundwater has moved beneath the nearby neighborhood. The levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the neighborhood have not decreased over time and are not meeting the cleanup goals. New vapor intrusion problems have also been found west of the site.

These conditions show that the contaminated groundwater plume is still present and may be spreading west or moving through pathways in the ground that let it travel more easily. Indoor air mitigation systems are needed right now to protect people from vapor intrusion inside homes and buildings. However, these systems will only work well in the long term if VOC levels in the groundwater below the buildings are reduced. Groundwater contamination levels need to keep decreasing in order to reduce reliance on indoor air mitigation systems. 

This Five-Year Review Report was signed September 24, 2026.

Site project information and the Five-Year Review are available to the public at web repositories. To view cleanup documents, please visit EPA’s Site Profile page (see Site Documents & Data). 

If you do not have internet access, you can view these documents online at the following location:

Olathe Indian Creek Public Library
16100 W. 135th St.
Olathe, KS 66062
913-971-6850

If you have questions about the site, please contact:

Shaylee Borcsani
Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 7 (CEERD/CPSIB)
11201 Renner Boulevard
Lenexa, KS 66219
Email: borcsani.shaylee@epa.gov
Phone: 913-551-7713
Toll-free: 1-800-223-0425