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Iowa Superfund Site: Des Moines Tce
Fight Air Pollution & Water Pollution With an Environmental Toxic Tort Lawsuit
 | Do you need a Toxic Tort Attorney in The Hawkeye State? The US EPA has designated Des Moines Tce in Iowa as a Superfund site due to its levels of environmental toxins and harm to the natural world. You can read the report for the site below.
Some Superfund sites are on the National Priority Site Lists. The National Priorities List ("NPL") is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on the NPL. The NPL is intended primarily to guide the EPA in determining which sites warrant further investigation.
Sites are listed on the NPL upon completion of Hazard Ranking System (HRS) screening, public solicitation of comments about the proposed site, and after all comments have been addressed. EPA may delete a final NPL site if it determines that no further response is required to protect human health or the environment. Sites where a remediation was completed through the Superfund program are typically deleted from the NPL.
Living near Superfund Sites in Iowa may place you and your loved ones at risk of getting sick from exposure to the site and experiencing a loss of value for your property, but you can do something to to fight back: The EPA says, [We have] set up a "Post Construction Completion" (or PCC) strategy to ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. EPA's Post Construction Completion activities also involve optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and/or reduce cost without sacrificing long-term protection of human health and the environment. Regardless, most of the Superfund sites are still very dangerous to the well-being of those who live close to a Superfund site.
By choosing Weitz & Luxenberg, you can trust the legal passion of skilled Toxic Tort attorneys who will help fight back against polluters and win you and your family the financial compensation and environmental remediation to which you are entitled.Below you can read the EPA report for the Des Moines Tce Superfund site. If you, a loved one, or someone in your community has suffered due to exposure to a Superfund site Des Moines Tce, or if your property has lost value because of contamination, you are better off with a toxic tort attorney who knows the people of the State of Iowa . Learn more about your legal options by filling out this simple form. There is no obligation, and your case will be evaluated within one day. To refer a friend, neighbor, or loved one, follow this link to let them know about the environmental toxic tort lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg.
Des Moines TceThis site is not a Federal Facility.
Des Moines Tce
Iowa
Epa Id# Iad980687933
EPA Region 7
City:
County: Polk County
Southwest of downtown Des Moines
Other Names: Tuttle Street Landfill
Des Moines Vocational School
Dichem
Dico Company
05/07/2003
Site Description
The Des Moines TCE site is an area of contaminated ground water located southwest of downtown
Des Moines, in the flood plain of the Raccoon River. The surrounding area is industrial and commercial,
with some recreational parklands. The city's public water supply, which serves approximately 260,000
people, was discovered to be contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) in 1976. The contamination
was entering the water supply through the city's ground water source. The Dico Company, who used
and disposed of solvent wastes containing TCE on their property through early 1979, was determined
to be a potential source of the contamination. In 1984, the Des Moines Water Works stopped using the
contaminated portion of the ground water supply. In 1986, the EPA ordered Dico to undertake the
Agency's selected remedy to protect the city's public water supply. During cleanup activities, another
plume (the North plume) of contaminated ground water was discovered as being drawn into the ground
water extraction system. An investigation was subsequently initiated to address the contamination
apparently originating to the north and west of the Dico property. In addition, investigations on Dico's
property revealed that past herbicide and pesticide formulation activities had left contamination in
several Dico buildings and adjacent soils.
Site Responsibility:
This site is being addressed through Federal, state,
and potentially responsible parties' actions. The state
and DICO are currently conducting a program to
monitor the contamination in the ground water.
Npl Listinghistory
Proposed Date:12/30/1982
Final Date:
Deleted Date:
09/08/1983
Threats And Contaminants
The ground water and soil are contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
including tetrachloroethylene, TCE, and vinyl chloride, and pesticides and herbicides from
former industrial operations and waste disposal practices. Accidentally ingesting or
coming into direct contact with the contaminants poses a health risk.
Cleanup Approach
Response Action Status
Initial Actions: Dico has cleaned several buildings on their property that were previously used to
formulate and store pesticide and herbicide products. In addition, Dico has covered a large portion of
their property with an asphalt cap to address the threat presented by the surface soil contamination. A
group of parties potentially responsible for pesticide and herbicide contamination has excavated
contaminated soils from drainage areas on and adjacent to Dico property and has arranged for off-site
disposal of the soils.
Ground water: The remedy for the protection of the Des Moines water supply features: isolating the
northernmost section of the public water supply system; collecting contaminated ground water with
extraction wells; treating the ground water with an air stripper to remove contaminants; discharging the
treated water to the Raccoon River; and operating the extraction wells until water collected from all
monitoring wells meets EPA drinking water standards for four consecutive months. Dico, under EPA
oversight, designed and built the ground water extraction and treatment system, which included seven
extraction wells and an air stripping system. Cleanup activities began in December, 1987. Dico has and
will continue to operate and maintain the ground water treatment system until cleanup criteria are
achieved.
Source Control: In 1989, Dico began an intensive study of the sources of the pollution on its property.
This investigation showed that contamination by VOCs and pesticides is of significant concern at the
site. The studies have identified various source areas as well as potential remedies. The initial removal
actions discussed above have addressed many of the health concerns associated with the source areas.
EPA's selected remedial action, as documented in the December, 1996 Record of Decision, calls for
continued maintenance of the three removal actions and land use restrictions to maintain an industrial
land use.
North Plume: In 1988, the EPA began investigating the potential sources of contaminated ground water
being drawn into the Dico ground water extraction and treatment system. The EPA installed additional
monitoring wells to the north and west of the Raccoon River near the Fleur Drive Bridge and north to
about 25th and High Street. The wells have been monitored to determine the extent of contamination
and its source(s), and to warn of any approaching danger to the public water supply. This investigation
was completed in the spring of 1992, and the EPA concluded that no further action is warranted; the
existing ground water extraction and treatment system will capture and clean up the contaminated
ground water plume.
Site Facts:
Facts: In 1986, the EPA issued an Administrative Order requiring Dico to design, build,
and operate a ground water extraction system. Dico signed an Administrative Order on
Consent with the EPA in August 1989 to conduct a study of how to control the
potential sources of contamination at its property. A Unilateral Administrative Order
(UAO) was issued to Dico in March, 1994, calling for a removal action to address
threats inside several on-site buildings. A second UAO was issued to Dico in June,
1994, calling for a removal action to reduce threats posed by on-site soils. A group of
additional potentially responsible parties identified in association with the pesticide and
herbicide contamination, signed an AOC in December, 1995, requiring the parties to
conduct a removal action to address threats posed by contaminated soil in drainage
areas at the site.
Environmental Progress
Ground water cleanup at the Des Moines TCE site including a ground water monitoring
program is currently underway which, along with the three initial removal actions, has reduced the
potential for exposure to hazardous substances found at the site. Pesticide and herbicide-contaminated
dust has been removed from several on-site buildings and the interior surfaces have been sealed to
prevent exposure to any remaining pesticide and herbicide residues. In addition, exposure to
pesticide-contaminated soils has been eliminated by capping a large portion of the Dico property, and
removing contaminated soils from the site. Long term actions will include operation and maintenance
activities necessary to ensure the continued protectiveness of the ground water extraction and treatment
system and the asphalt cap. The EPA completed the third five-year review for the site in February
2003, which concluded that the actions taken at the site remain protective. The Five-Year Review
Report is available in the site information repository.
Site Repository
Des Moines City Library
100 Locust
Des Moines, Ia 50308
Superfund Records Center
901 N. 5th St.
Kansas City, KS 66101
Mail Stop SUPR
(913)551-4038
Regional
Site Manager:
Mary Peterson
E-Mail Address:
peterson.mary@epa.gov.
Phone Number:
(913) 551-7882
Community Involvement Coordinator:
Beckie Himes
Phone Number:
(913) 551-7003
E-Mail Address:
himes.beckie@epa.gov
State Contact:
Bob Drustrup
Phone Number:
(515) 281-8900
Miscellaneous Information
State:
Ia
0725
Congressional District:
04
Epa Organization:
Sfd-Iane/Supr
Modifications
Created by:
Karla
Asberry/SUPRFUND/R7/US
Created Date:
10/16/1997 11:17 Am
Epa/Us
Last Modified by:
Jude
Roach/SUPR/R7/USEPA/US
Last Modified Date:
05/07/2003 12:23 PM
source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Act Now! It is essential that you inquire about your pollutant lawsuit as soon as possible. Iowa law may limit your time to bring a legal claim to protect your rights. Your legal review is free and there is no commitment. You case will be evaluated immediately, so get started on your claim today!
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