EPA Superfund Program Proposes Four Sites to National Priorities List, Including Lot 46 Valley Gardens TCE in Des Moines | US EPA

By inergency On Sep 8, 2023

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Community members are encouraged to attend an upcoming Community Meeting to learn more about the site and EPA’s proposed cleanup activities

September 7, 2023

LENEXA, KAN. (SEPT. 7, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is proposing to add four sites to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL), including the Lot 46 Valley Gardens TCE Site in Des Moines, Iowa.

EPA is proposing the addition of the Lot 46 site to address groundwater contamination associated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and its breakdown products, particularly cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE) [1,2-dichloroethylene is also called 1,2-dichloroethene].

Drinking water from the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) meets all Safe Drinking Water Act standards. TCE and cis-1,2-DCE have been detected in water samples collected from the DMWW infiltration gallery along the Racoon River. Only cis-1,2-DCE has been detected in the finished water products. The detections of TCE and cis-1,2-DCE are below their respective Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). These national drinking water standards protect drinking water quality by limiting the levels of contaminants that can adversely affect public health. DMWW’s 2023 Annual Water Quality Report is available on their website. All public drinking water systems are required to publish consumer confidence reports.

“EPA is committed to cleaning up sites across the country, and adding the Lot 46 site to the NPL helps ensure that federal resources are available for the Superfund cleanup process to begin,” said EPA Region 7 Superfund and Emergency Management Director Bob Jurgens. “EPA representatives will be in Des Moines later this month to provide community members with a site update and answer questions.”

Representatives from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and DMWW will join EPA for a Community Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. More details about this meeting will be announced shortly. A video recording of the June 20 Public Availability Session is available on EPA Region 7’s YouTube channel.

Community members can provide comments about the proposed addition to the NPL by visiting regulations.gov and clicking “comment.” Comments received may be posted without change to regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. All submissions received must include the Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OLEM–2023–0384 for this site.