Bountiful/Woods Cross 5th South PCE Plume

Overview

The Bountiful/Woods Cross 5th South PCE Plume covers 450 acres in southern Davis County, Utah. It was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2001. The NPL is the federal list of sites that need formal Superfund cleanup. Construction of the full cleanup is not yet complete, and the site has not been removed from the NPL.

Two historical businesses caused the contamination. From 1936 to 1986, Hatchco ran a petroleum and solvent carrier operation on 13 acres of the site. Bountiful Cleaners, Inc. discharged wastewater to a septic system before connecting to public sewer. Both operations left hazardous chemicals in the soil, groundwater, and soil gas. EPA identified 23 contaminants of concern, including tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), which are chlorinated solvents. Other contaminants include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene compounds, vinyl chloride, and MTBE, a gasoline additive. These chemicals can harm human health through ingestion, skin contact, and inhalation.

The site is divided into operable units (OUs), each targeting a specific area. OU1 covers the Hatchco property and uses in-place biological treatment, monitored natural attenuation, groundwater monitoring, and land-use restrictions. Remedial action there was completed in September 2020, and the unit is now in long-term monitoring. OU2 covers the Unknown Source Plume and involves soil excavation, soil vapor extraction, groundwater extraction and treatment, and institutional controls. A soil vapor extraction system was installed at the source area in December 2023 using Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. State-performed remedial action for OU2 is estimated to finish between December 2026 and February 2027. A third area, the Bountiful Cleaners Area of Concern, does not yet have a formal cleanup decision document.

As of September 2023, EPA's third five-year review found that cleanup activities are protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure is currently under control, and contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Groundwater beneath the site is generally not used for drinking water, and a Groundwater Management Plan restricts new well installation. The former Hatchco property is now a paved parking lot serving the Utah Commuter Rail system. As of December 2024, four businesses operate on site, employing 40 people and generating about $1.88 million in annual sales.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) has held lead responsibility for the site since 2019. Community members can review site documents at the Davis County Library South Branch in Bountiful, the UDEQ Division of Environmental Response and Remediation in Salt Lake City, or the EPA Superfund Records Center in Denver. The Denver office can be reached at 303-312-7273 or toll-free at 800-227-8917, extension 312-7273 for Region 8 callers.