EPA Proposes Pair of Groundwater Contamination Sites in York, Neb., for Addition to Superfund’s National Priorities List

Release Date: 12/11/2013 Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov; or Belinda Young, 913-551-7463, young.belinda@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., Dec. 11, 2013) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its proposal to add the PCE/TCE Northeast Contamination Site and PCE Southeast Contamination Site, both in York, Neb., to the federal Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

The PCE/TCE Northeast Site is located in a primarily residential area of York where some industrial businesses are also situated. The PCE Southeast Site consists primarily of residential properties southeast of the city. Groundwater contamination in the York area has been an ongoing issue since 1990, when the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality discovered trichloroethylene (TCE) and other hazardous substances in some of York’s municipal wells.

EPA has been sampling private wells in northeast and southeast York and has been providing safe drinking water alternatives for those wells that have been impacted above EPA’s standards for drinking water.

An NPL listing notifies the public that EPA believes a site requires further study and possible cleanup under EPA's Superfund program. An NPL listing enables both EPA and the State of Nebraska to leverage resources for the benefit of citizens living in the affected area. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman supports the proposal.

Inclusion of these contaminated sites on the NPL would guarantee the public an opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions. Affected communities would also become eligible for technical assistance grants from EPA to help understand technical documents and promote community involvement.

The EPA Headquarters Docket maintains documents supporting the Agency's proposal to add the PCE/TCE Northeast and PCE Southeast Contamination sites to the NPL. These materials are available for review online, along with instructions for submitting comments.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites

Information about how a site is listed on the NPL

Superfund sites in local communities

More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, can be found online.