There are approximately two weeks left in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) public-comment period on its proposed plans for tackling the groundwater contamination at Olean Well Field Superfund site in Olean, New York.
The comment period runs through Aug. 15, the EPA announced at its outset last month. The agency will present a public meeting at 6 p.m. July 27 at the TECH Building, on the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College in Olean, according to the announcement.
"The Olean Well Field Superfund site contains various wells, homes, and manufacturing facilities," the EPA states in the announcement. "Earlier industrial operations at the AVX property, as well as three other facilities that EPA considers sources of site contamination, resulted in the contamination of soil and groundwater with ... volatile organic compounds. The contaminants migrated from the AVX property in groundwater south of the AVX property."
The EPA's proposed cleanup approach, called "in-situ treatment," incorporates different bacteria and minerals to facilitate the natural breakdown process of toxic compounds in the contaminated groundwater, according to the statement. Long-term monitoring to make sure the process is working as intended, as well as measures to prevent exposure to toxins, are part of the proposal, the EPA states.
"This proposed cleanup plan reflects EPA’s recommendations on how to best address groundwater contamination," EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said in the statement. "It safely brings us one step closer to a comprehensive cleanup of the AVX portion of the site."
