Liquid Assets

摘要

The city of Wichita, Kansas, faced a potential crisis when groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds was discovered in the downtown area in the late 1980s. The primary chemicals of concern included tetrachloroethene (also known as perchloroethylene, or PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (ds-1, 2-DCE), and vinyl chloride (vc). The contaminated groundwater extended beneath approximately 8,000 parcels of land, including more than 550 businesses and hundreds of residential properties, presenting a threat to human health, the environment, and the local economy. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (DHE) discovered the contamination through groundwater sampling performed in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at an industrial facility. The resulting environmental investigation and remediation project was named after the two streets (Gilbert and Mosley) that intersect close to the location where the contaminated groundwater was first detected.