Background/ History
The Univar USA Kansas City facility is located on 5 acres at 2000 Guinotte Ave. in Kansas City, Missouri. Van Waters & Rogers, Inc., a division of Univar Corp., used the facility to distribute organic and inorganic chemicals for industrial use. Bulk goods, ranging from chemicals to food-grade products, were received at the facility and distributed and/or repackaged for local customers in the area. Solvents, acids, and caustic chemicals are handled in the operation. These chemicals are used in the metal working and machinery manufacturing industries for degreasing; in the electronic industry for de-oiling circuit boards; in ink and adhesive industries for cleaning; and in other industries including pharmaceutical, photographic, electrical, textiles, rubber, and plastics.
As a service to some customers, spent solvent wastes were picked up, transported to the facility, and temporarily stored until transported to a recycler. Van Waters operated the hazardous waste storage area under the “interim status” portions of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Cleanup Summary
Van Waters closed the hazardous waste storage area in 1996. Clean closure was not achieved, despite decontamination activities outlined in the approved closure plan. Several solvents and metals were detected in soil in the vicinity of the former hazardous waste storage area.
According to applicable state and federal hazardous waste laws and regulations, Univar is 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. In November 2005, the department and Univar voluntarily entered into a Letter of Agreement, in an effort to simplify and streamline the corrective action process. Univar is currently performing a Corrective Measures Study to identify and evaluate possible remedial alternatives for the groundwater contamination. A groundwater monitoring program is currently in operation at the site. When the 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.
