[CPEO-MEF] TCE from former Schiilling AFB, Salina, KS

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

TCE levels surprise engineers
Concentrations of chemical much higher in groundwater than in previous tests

By DUANE SCHRAG
Salina Journal (KS)
October 26, 2006

A groundwater sample taken last month from just northwest of the College 
Center building on the Kansas State University at Salina campus had 
concentrations of TCE that are 160,000 times higher than is allowed in 
drinking water.

The trichloroethylene is so concentrated that a pilot study that was to 
deploy bacteria to clean it up will have to be modified. One sample had 
800,000 parts per billion of TCE -- almost a 10 percent solution. The 
maximum concentration allowed in drinking water is 5 ppb.

"Concentrations above 100,000 are toxic to microbes," the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers wrote in a memo to local officials, explaining the 
development. "Therefore, bioaugmentation will not be an effective 
treatment method at the current concentrations."

The Corps of Engineers is overseeing cleanup of the former Schilling Air 
Force Base and will have a meeting tonight to give a progress update. 
The meeting begins at 7 in the College Center conference room and is 
open to the public.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.saljournal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=8647&format=html

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org

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