Alamo Contaminated Ground Water

Overview

The Alamo Contaminated Ground Water site sits in Alamo, Tennessee, about 10 miles northwest of Jackson. Volatile organic compounds, including perchloroethylene (also listed as tetrachloroethene) and trichloroethylene (also listed as trichloroethene), were found in the Memphis Sands Aquifer in 1988 at levels above federal drinking water standards. The aquifer is the main drinking water source for the region. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 2011 and organized cleanup under a single operable unit.

Twenty contaminants of concern have been identified in groundwater and soil. These include benzene, toluene, xylene, various dichloroethane and dichloroethene compounds, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, ethylbenzene, MTBE (2-methoxy-2-methylpropane), and lead. A focused investigation in 2016 pointed to a former circuit board manufacturing facility, Volunteer Circuits (operating 1973 to 1975), as a known source next to the city well field. Two former dry cleaning facilities are potential sources with residual contamination in soil and groundwater beneath them.

The city has treated its public water supply through air stripping since 1991, and the water currently meets all federal drinking water standards. In September 2018, EPA signed an Interim Record of Decision selecting a remedy that includes a new air stripper to replace the existing one, a soil vapor extraction system at the former Wards Dry Cleaners site, recovery wells, an engineered cap, groundwater and soil monitoring, and discharge to a publicly owned treatment works. Remedial design ran from March 2019 to July 2020, and active remedial work began in September 2020. Completion is estimated between December 2026 and February 2027. The site has received funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EPA has determined that human exposure to site contaminants is currently under control and that groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction is not yet complete, and the site is not yet ready for anticipated use.

Institutional controls, including zoning restrictions that prevent residential uses inconsistent with cleanup levels, are in place. The public water supply is tested on a triannual basis and has remained within acceptable levels. Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation installed 14 monitoring wells in 2010 to track the affected groundwater area. Site documents are available at the Crockett Memorial Library in Alamo.

Community members can stay involved through public notices, public meetings, and interviews that EPA holds throughout the cleanup process. Questions can be directed to the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.