Press release from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (August 10, 2023) – During the week of August 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin additional cleanup work at the CTS of Asheville, Inc. Superfund Site (Site) located at 235 Mills Gap Road.
The cleanup will consist of using In-Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO) to treat trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination in a 1.9-acre area of the Site. ISCO involves injection of chemicals into the ground to oxidize and break down contaminants into harmless byproducts like carbon dioxide and water. The same area was treated with ISCO between September 2019 and March 2020 and has been monitored since. As of July 2023, TCE concentrations in the area have been reduced by 70% and this additional “polishing” step is required to achieve the Site cleanup goal of a 95% reduction.
During this polishing event, a total of 40,000 pounds of potassium permanganate will be injected into soil below ground through 12 existing wells. The work is expected to take three weeks during which time residents are urged to respect boundaries around the site where workers and equipment will enter and exit.
When the ISCO polishing event is finished, groundwater monitoring will continue every six months in the treatment area until the cleanup goal is achieved.
The ISCO treatment at the Site was required under a March 7, 2017, interim cleanup settlement between EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice with the responsible parties – CTS Corporation, Mills Gap Road Associates and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation. EPA expanded the interim cleanup to include ISCO in response to public input.
To date, the companies have spent an estimated $9 million to cleanup the Site. A final site-wide cleanup to address any contamination remaining after the ISCO treatment has had a chance to work will follow in the years ahead. https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cts-millsgap
For more information, visit the EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/superfund
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