LENEXA, KAN. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an expedited cost recovery agreement with Concrete Strategies to recover over $30,000 for cleanup work performed by EPA Region 7’s Superfund program relating to a spill in 2023.

“EPA Region 7’s Emergency Response program dispatched an on-scene coordinator quickly after learning about the release from a report to our spill line,” said EPA Region 7 Superfund Director Bob Jurgens. “The actions taken by our responder, KDHE, and the responsible party led to a quick cleanup and reduced costs for all parties involved.”

The impacted waterway with a containment boom. (U.S. EPA photo.)

EPA Region 7 responded to a report of white liquid with a strong chemical odor impacting a stormwater drain and downstream retention ponds near I-435 in Lenexa, Kansas. An EPA Region 7 on-scene coordinator and officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) responded to the scene and oversaw the cleanup performed by parties hired by Concrete Strategies.

The chemical composition of the white liquid was determined to include hazardous substances, as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. Cleanup actions included recovering light nonaqueous phase liquids; pumping and filtration; surface skimming; particulate sock filtration to remove solids from the liquids; and carbon filtration. On May 2, 2023, KDHE approved the discontinuation of cleanup operations and EPA Region 7’s operations were completed.

An environmental contractor observes cleanup tools in action in the impacted waterway. (U.S. EPA photo.)

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Read the settlement agreement between EPA and Concrete Strategies.

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