Distler Farm

Overview

Distler Farm is a three-acre Superfund site near West Point in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Kentucky Liquid Recycling, Inc. stored and disposed of industrial chemical wastes there during the 1970s. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1983, which flags it for federal cleanup oversight. Physical cleanup construction finished in July 1992, and the site was declared ready for anticipated reuse in September 2017. It remains on the National Priorities List and has not yet been deleted.

EPA identified 20 contaminants of concern in groundwater and soil at the site. These include volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, benzene, toluene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and naphthalene. Heavy metals and metalloids found include arsenic, chromium, and lead. Other contaminants include 1,1-dichloroethene, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, 2-butanone, and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. All fall under Operable Unit 1, the single cleanup area covering the entire site.

Cleanup between 1986 and the early 2000s included removing contaminated soil and drums of hazardous waste, treating groundwater on-site, and backfilling with clean soil. The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection took over cleanup responsibility in 2002, and the groundwater pump and treat system was removed in 2003. EPA conducted five rounds of groundwater sampling in 2023 and 2024 and found arsenic and lead above their maximum contaminant levels, the federal drinking water standards. In June 2025, EPA conducted soil sampling to evaluate whether land-based institutional controls are needed.

The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in July 2023, confirmed the remedy protects human health and the environment. There are currently no completed exposure pathways, meaning people are not coming into contact with contaminants at harmful levels. Human exposure is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The review recommends continued groundwater sampling, soil sampling, and evaluation of whether institutional controls are needed. The next five-year review is estimated between July and September 2028.

Community members can stay involved through public notices, interviews, and information meetings that EPA uses to share updates and gather input. Site-related records are available at West Point City Hall, 509 Elm Street, West Point, Kentucky. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator and Remedial Project Manager handle questions directly.