Background/ History
The Bayer CropScience site is located on approximately 236 acres at 8400 Hawthorne Road on the north side of Kansas City, Missouri. The plant opened in 1956, as an agricultural chemical manufacturing facility, known as Chemagro, producing a variety of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. From 1959 to 1973, Filter Aid, ethyl phosphoro-triesters with toluene, methyl phosphoro-triesters with naphthol spirit and DEF water treatment residue (polyphosphates of tri-n-butyl thioester phosphates) were disposed in three areas at the facility where trenches were reportedly dug. After the final placement of these materials, the areas were closed with waste in place.
After a series of name changes, the facility became Bayer Corp., Agricultural Division in April 1995. In 2002, Bayer CropScience LP assumed ownership of the site. Bayer CropScience is currently operating as an agricultural chemical manufacturing facility under two hazardous waste permits, one issued by the department and one issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The department issued the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Facility Part I Permit, effective Dec. 9, 1998. EPA issued the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Part II Permit, effective Jan. 8, 1999. Bayer produces and packages insecticides, seed treatments, herbicides and fungicides for crop protection. A variety of hazardous wastes are produced as part of the facility operations. Bayer stores and incinerates the hazardous waste created during the on-site production processes and receives hazardous waste from other off-site Bayer production facilities. Bayer currently operates one hazardous waste incinerator, five hazardous waste storage tanks and two hazardous waste container storage areas.
Cleanup Summary
According to applicable state and federal hazardous waste laws and regulations, all hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities are required to investigate and clean up releases of hazardous waste and hazardous constituents to the environment at their facility resulting from present and past hazardous waste handling practices. Investigations concluded that there is some soil contamination and substantial contamination of groundwater. In 2011, Bayer filed, with the Jackson County Recorder of Deeds, a Restrictive Covenant in the chain-of-title for the affected property, which will notify in perpetuity, any potential purchaser of the environmental conditions of the property. The Restrictive Covenant restricts the property to non-residential land use, requires maintenance of the soil covering the three disposal areas, prohibits the disturbance of the soil beneath the contaminated areas, and prohibits the use of groundwater for drinking water.
Bayer is conducting corrective action activities under the same two hazardous waste permits the facility is operating under. Bayer is currently performing a Corrective Measures Study to identify and evaluate possible remedial alternatives for the soil and groundwater contamination. In September 2012, the department approved a groundwater monitoring plan which requires regular monitoring of the groundwater. In order to contain the contaminated groundwater and prevent migration offsite, the water is extracted by pumping wells and treated onsite. When the Corrective Measures Study is complete, the department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will review the possible remedial measures and select the best remedy given site-specific considerations.
