Velsicol heating started, website available to track progress

Courtesy Image
A screenshot as of Tuesday March 20, 2018 of the treatment areas by the Environmental Protection Agency at the Velsicol superfund site in St. Louis. This information and more is now available on a website for the public to track the clean up’s progress.
Courtesy Image A screenshot as of Tuesday March 20, 2018 of the treatment areas by the Environmental Protection Agency at the Velsicol superfund site in St. Louis. This information and more is now available on a website for the public to track the clean up’s progress.

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Heating of soil of the in-place thermal treatment system is now taking place.

Expected to take place 180 days to get the soil to the boiling point of water, once the soil reaches this point, the system will run for at least 90 days to remove the contaminants from the soil, according to a news release from the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday.

Contaminants are treated on-site at the location at 500 N. Bankson St.; residents will see water vapor or steam periodically coming from the on-site stack.

Air monitoring and testing continues with no issues to date.

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Soil sampling will take place at the end of the project to ensure the contaminants have been removed to a safe level.

A web site for the public to obtain information on the in-place thermal treatment system is now live.

The web site includes monitoring data.

Information can be found through the Velsicol Chemical main web page, and clicking “Cleanup Activities” and looking for “Sampling and Monitoring”.

The EPA will host a public availability session from 2-4 p.m. and from 5-7 p.m. on April 4 in the community room at St. Louis City Hall at 300 N. Mill Street.

Representatives from the EPA will be available to meet with attendees one-on-one to answer questions and show how to find the system on its website.

- Sean Bradley, Morning Sun

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