Clean Up of a Superfund Site

Environmental Pollution

Pollution is one of the major ways through which human activity affects the physical environment. This form of human activity has attracted considerable attention in recent decades because of global climate change. In the United States, pollution or damage to the environment due to human activity continues to be a major issue for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency has created the National Priorities List (NPL), which shows national priorities of environmental issues and projects brought about by pollutants, hazardous substances, or contaminants throughout the country (EPA, 2023). The list guides the agency in decision-making on sites that require urgent action to prevent environmental damage or harm.

One of the Superfund national priorities listed by EPA is PCE – Carriage Cleaners, which is situated in Bellevue, Nebraska. The site is located nearly 0.7 miles west of the Missouri River (EPA, 2022). Similar to other Superfund sites, this site involves contamination by toxic substances, which in turn poses risks to public health and the environment. PCE – Carriage Cleaners was identified as a Superfund site in 2017 after EPA noted that groundwater at this site was polluted by tetrachloroethene (PCE), which is one of the ingredients in dry cleaning substances. Carriage Cleaners is a former dry cleaning business in Bellevue, Nebraska. The business operated from 1955 to October 1995 when it closed down after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Historic operations at this site released PCE, which contaminated soil and groundwater. Consequently, residential and commercial properties in this area have contaminated indoor air because of vapor intrusion. PCE – Carriage Cleaners was listed as a Superfund site in December 2022 as EPA seeks to address groundwater, soil, and indoor/air vapor contamination.

The toxic substances at this site are PCE and trichloroethene (TCE) whose levels exceeded the benchmark levels in indoor air and soil gas in commercial and residential properties. The high levels of PCE and TCE have affected communities in commercial and residential properties in Bellevue, Nebraska. These substances have contaminated indoor air and increased the risk of contaminated indoor vapors in many commercial properties in this community. The heightened levels of contamination for these properties are attributable to the fact that most of them have overlying apartment units.

Given its damaging environmental effects, permanent cleanup of PCE – Carriage Cleaners is critical. EPA notes that the contaminated groundwater in this Superfund site should be cleaned up in order to prevent vapor intrusion (EPA, 2022). However, such cleanup requires the identification and establishment of a long-term remedial action strategy and plan. After receiving a letter of support from the State of Nebraska, EPA place this site in the NPL and commenced a plan for permanent cleanup of contaminated groundwater.

The cleanup exercise of PCE – Carriage Cleaners has involved the installation of vapor mitigation systems. Vapor mitigation systems are considered critical in addressing contaminated indoor air, which is brought about by the high levels of PCE and TCE in this Superfund site. As part of the long-term plan and process, EPA has successfully installed 21 vapor mitigation systems to address contaminated indoor air. 13 of these systems have been installed in residential properties while the remaining eight in commercial buildings.