[CPEO-MEF] VOCs, CLOSURE: New Groundwater Cleanup Plan for the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant (NE)

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

News Release
U.S. EPA Region 7
May 18, 202

EPA and USACE Finalize Groundwater Cleanup Plan for the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant
Bacteria will accelerate breakdown of contaminants


LENEXA, KAN. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released the finalized cleanup plan in a second Record of Decision Amendment (ROD-A) for the contaminated groundwater plume associated with the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant in Grand Island, Nebraska.

The cleanup plan – which is also called an amended remedy — is based on the remedial investigation and feasibility study conducted by USACE. A remedial investigation identifies the nature and extent of contamination at a site, while a feasibility study evaluates potential alternatives for cleanup. This amended remedy replaces the groundwater extraction treatment system with native bacteria that can break down the contaminants at an accelerated rate. Using bacteria to clean up contaminants is called bioremediation. A public comment period was conducted in February 2025.

The bioremediation treatment, using blackstrap molasses whey, vegetable oil, and corn steep, will provide a source of carbon for bacteria to consume, producing an environment that will see the deterioration of contaminants in the groundwater. 

The overall goal of the amended remedy is the restoration of the groundwater to support that resource’s future unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. USACE also determined that implementing the bioremediation remedy would provide significant cost-savings and speed up the clean-up process while continuing to protect human health and the environment.

…

For the entire release, see
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-usace-finalize-groundwater-cleanup-plan-cornhusker-army-ammunition-plant



—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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