Le Mars Coal Gas
CERCLA Removal -
Open
331 1st Street NE ,
Le Mars ,
IA
51031
Project Manager:
Jake
Bucklin
Summary
A former manufactured gas plant site located in Le Mars that was originally constructed in 1884. The site was converted from oil gas production to carbureted water gas by 1930, and in 1939 the site was converted from manufactured gas to natural gas. The site was purchased by the City of Le Mars, who still owns the site, in 1967. During the installation of an underground storage tank in 1985, the city noted potential contamination at the site. Subsurface samples collected in 1990 indicated the presence of total organic hydrocarbons, and a subsequent leak test on the underground storage tank revealed that the tank had no leaks, suggesting that the contamination was related to past operations at the site. EPA became involved at the site in 1995, and conducted a series of assessments to determine the nature and extent of contamination, and in 2004 EPA conducted a removal action to remove all contaminated source soils at the site down to the water table. Subsequent monitoring and assessments have determined that this removal action has removed the bulk of the contamination and the remaining groundwater contamination plume appears to be stable or decreasing thanks to natural attenuation of the remaining contaminants. Various assessments have determined that soil, groundwater, and vapor intrusion pathways are all incomplete and, as a result, the site does not present a hazardous condition to nearby potential receptors. Furthermore, an environmental covenant restricting groundwater use, preventing subsurface disturbance without prior approval by EPA, and preventing residential use was recorded for the site to further prevent potential exposure to remaining contamination.