By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public meeting to discuss potential contamination at a site near the Great Bend Municipal Airport. The former Plating Inc. building on west 6th Street used to be a chromium and zinc plating facility. Chromium is a metal used mainly for making steel and other alloys and is considered a contaminant of concern.
Operations at Plating Inc. stopped in 2005, the company filed bankruptcy and the site was abandoned in 2006.
Monitoring the site for years, Great Bend City Administrator Brandon Anderson said the EPA is preparing for on-site construction activities for the remedial action.
"I don't believe the site is any worse than it was, they're (EPA) just remediating the problem," said Anderson. "They have it pinpointed what needs to be hauled off. There will be a substantial amount of dirt moved with that. They'll monitor it after that as well."
Removing the dirt will prevent current and future exposure to the chemicals. Domestic water supply wells for two businesses were impacted by the contamination and were supplied bottled water.
Anderson said Clint Sperry, a Remedial Project Manager with the EPA, will present to the Great Bend City Council on Oct. 2.
"He'll talk to us about the precautions the EPA is taking to make sure that is a safe project," said Anderson. "I've asked them to come in advance of that to give an update to the council and the public so we can be assured they're also working on some public information pieces."
The cleanup at the site is being funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) which allows the EPA to clean contaminated sites through the federal law.