We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with requests for some documents. If an attempt to download an individual document from the “Documents/Photos Available” link does not return the expected results, please contact the Project Manager associated with the Identified Site or the Remedial Section at 785-296-1660. We are working to resolve this problem as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Commodity Credit Corporation/United States Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) operated a grain storage facility in Hackney, Cowley County, Kansas from 1950 to approximately 1969. The facility consisted of 64 grain bins, and grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were routinely used at the facility. The grain bins no longer exist at the Site, and the current land use of the Site property consists of a rental storage building and a fertilizer tank storage area operated by the Valley Coop. Valley Coop also operates grain elevators and other facility operations south and southeast of the former CCC/USDA storage facility.

Initial sampling of private wells in Hackney was conducted in 1983 as part of investigation into volatile organic compounds (VOC) contamination at the Strother Field Superfund Site immediately west of Hackney, where carbon tetrachloride was detected at a concentration at 28 micrograms per Liter (µg/L) in a private well near the former CCC/USDA and Valley Coop facilities. Additional groundwater sampling events were conducted with carbon tetrachloride detected at a maximum concentration of 155 µg/L in a nearby private well in 1985, and at 19 µg/L in 1991 in a monitoring well located at the former CCC/USDA facility installed as part of the Strother Field Site Remedial Investigation.

In 1992-1994 KDHE conducted a Site Investigation (SI) at and near the former CCC/USDA facility and Valley Coop facility properties which identified carbon tetrachloride concentrations up to 37 µg/L in groundwater samples collected. Additional sampling of monitoring wells and private wells in 1995 found carbon tetrachloride and nitrates in samples collected. In 1997 KDHE connected 13 Hackney properties (residential and public properties) to the Cowley County RWD #6 public water supply to ensure residents a safe drinking water supply. Additional groundwater sampling was conducted in 1996 through 2002 under KDHE’s State Water Plan to monitor VOCs and nitrate contamination in the community.

In 2003 KDHE collected groundwater samples from 10 locations at the former CCC/USDA facility/Valley Coop fertilizer storage facility, which identified both carbon tetrachloride and nitrates in one or more samples collected. Based on these data and historical findings, CCC/USDA and Valley Coop were identified as potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for contamination associated with the Hackney Site, and the Site was transferred to other programs within KDHE for further assessment by PRPs. In 2003 the former Hackney CCC/USDA facility was included in the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Farm Service Agency of USDA and KDHE’s list of sites for further action by CCC/USDA.

In 2004 Valley Coop entered into an agreement with KDHE’s Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program (VCPRP) to perform investigation of contamination at the Valley Coop-Hackney Facility Site (Project Code: C2-018-00038) and investigations are ongoing at this time.

In 2011 CCC/USDA submitted to KDHE a proposal requesting Site Reclassification of the former CCC/USDA Hackney facility; however, KDHE did not concur with the proposal for reclassification based on data collected to date, and requested CCC/USDA proceed with development and implementation of a Comprehensive Investigation (CI) work plan for the Site. In 2013 KDHE requested private wells be sampled near the Site, and upon CCC/USDA approval, KDHE conducted private well sampling in Hackney on behalf of CCC/USDA in April/May of 2013. KDHE completed a Private Well Sampling Report in May 2014. KDHE has requested a Chracterization Work Plan from CCC/USDA.