[CPEO-MEF] Contamination rises at former NOP hot spot

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Contamination rises at former NOP hot spot
By Troy Fedderson
Staff Reporter  
MEAD ? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that levels of 
contamination in an unexpected hot spot are on the rise at the former 
Nebraska Ordnance Plant southeast of Mead.

Last summer, a routine test on extraction well No. 11 revealed 
trichlorethene (TCE) in 3,000 parts per billion. During the quarterly 
Restoration Advisory Board meeting held Thursday, Feb. 21, Thomas Graff, 
Project Manager for the Corps, announced that TCE had risen to, "over 
7,000 parts per billion," at EW11.

"This is an area of contamination that we did not expect," Graff, said 
of the site located half a mile south of Load Line 1. "We thought the 
area was clean after our original investigation. Now, we need to go out 
this spring for additional study on the site."

The site has been tested four times since last summer, each resulting in 
a higher level of TCE contamination. Graff said prior to the most recent 
result of 7,000, the well tested out at 4,700 parts per billion.

"We don?t know why it continues to rise," Graff said. "And we won?t know 
until we can get out there this spring."

The complete story can be viewed at:
http://www.wahoonews.com/wahoonews/myarticles.asp?P=324181&S=512&PubID=6059&EC=0