25 June 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) held a public meeting Saturday afternoon, where officials talked about next steps for cleanup for the 29th and Grove contamination site.
While both the KDHE and Union Pacific Railroad were on hand to talk about the ongoing cleanup plans to residents, other residents wanted to ask more questions.
The KDHE did talk to KSN about ground water.
“For the ground water, the plan for the cleanup is called a pump-and-treat remedy, basically,” Mary Daily, a project manager for the KDHE, said. “So they are going to extract the ground water, treat it above ground with air stripping technology, and then inject it back into the aquifer over time.”
A spokesperson for Union Pacific said they understand the concerns of residents in the area since the contamination happened, and they continue to work with the KDHE on more cleanup efforts.
“When the site was first identified, Union Pacific’s first steps taken were to safeguard the public health,” Robin Tysver, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, said. “And since that time, all the tests that we have seen have shown that the drinking water, the municipal drinking water is safe. The air is safe. The soil is safe.”
One resident, though, is frustrated with today’s presentation and not being able to ask more questions.
“We always had been a marginalized community, and so subsequently continued that process today,” Terrill Florence said. “You know, they didn’t care about the concerns of people. They came in, they said, ‘this is what we’re going to talk about, listen, shut up, goodbye.'”
Florence said there needs to be accountability for the mental, physical and emotional issues created by not having taken more action sooner.
While most residents in the contamination zone are on safe, city water, the KDHE said it will take ten years or longer to achieve cleanup goals for the aquifer in the area.