OSWER/OSRTI Washington, DC 20460



## N ATIONAL 

## P RIORITIES 

## L IST 

## (NPL)

***Proposed Site*** September 2014


### KOKOMO CONTAMINATED Kokomo, Indiana

GROUND WATER PLUME Howard County

 **Site Location :**  The Kokomo Contaminated Ground Water Plume site is a contaminated ground water plume with no identified sourc e located in the city of Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana. The ground water plume is approximately 294 acres and

encompasses several municipal wells in the city

.

 **Site History:**

Site investigations in 2007 confirmed levels of vinyl chloride at levels e xceeding the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) in raw water at four (4) municipal wells (pre

- treatment). The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has identified fourteen handlers of chlorinated solvents in the area that could be contributing to the contaminated ground water plume

. Despite several investigations in the area, the exact origin of the contaminants

is unknown.

 **Site Contamination/Contaminants:**
The plume consists of chlorinated solvents, specifically, vinyl chloride.

 **Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment :** 

Area residents are supplied by municipal water supply distribution systems and use municipal water a s their drinking

water source . The affect ed wellfield provides water to about to 55,000 residents in Kokomo. There are known

contaminated residential wells which are believed to be used for non -potable purposes.

 **Response Activities (to date):**

IDEM has identified fourteen facilities that handle chlorinated solvents and could be sources to the contamination plume. Some of these potential sources are currently being managed under other authorities but there is no cleanup approach focusing on the ground water plume. Water from several well fields in Kokomo are blended and treated prior to distribution. The water treatment system has been successful at removing the vinyl chloride from the finished drinking water, as there have been no detections in the finished water

, but this is not a perman ent solution.

 **Need for NPL Listing:**
The state of Indiana referred the site to the EPA because the site requires a long term response and action. Listing will allow for a proper and timely investigation of the nature and extent of contamination. Other fe deral and state cleanup programs were evaluated bu t are not viable at this time. The c ity’s mayor has expressed support for listing, and the EPA received a letter of support from the state

.

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, Feb ruary 11, 1991, or subsequent
FR notices.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on

the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp or by telephone at 1

- 888 -42- ATSDR or 1 -888-422-8737.