Read the full article by Cristina Tuser (WQP)
“A cleanup plan for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated groundwater in Hastings, Nebraska has been announced by the U.S. EPA.
The Record of Decision (ROD) was announced for the Hastings Superfund Site, Operable Unit 1 in Hastings. The agency will implement efforts to clean up contaminated groundwater at the site, according to the press release.
‘Ensuring public access to clean and safe drinking water is one of EPA’s most important missions,’ said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford. ‘The cleanup at the Hastings Superfund Site will restore contaminated groundwater and preserve this important resource for future generations.’
The cleanup plan: combines continued groundwater extraction via the existing Whalen Energy Center well field and Well D to address residual groundwater contamination; treatment of extracted groundwater via beneficial use as non-contact cooling water; and a long-term monitoring program to monitor performance and effectiveness of the cleanup, according to the EPA.
The EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in 1986.
The site itself consists of seven subsites with 20 operable units. According to officials, the contamination comes from: a vapor degreasing operation, former landfills, a coal gas plant, an industrial park, a wartime ordnance manufacturing facility and a grain elevator. Both public and private water supplies are contaminated…”