EPA proposes settlement for cleanup of Pleasant Hill, Iowa site

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Monday that it has reached a proposed settlement over the groundwater hazardous waste contamination at the Townsend Industries site in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

The settlement calls for the former owners and operators to contain the contamination and work towards its remediation.

The site’s contamination stems from operations throughout the 1970s and 1980s and includes hazardous waste including acetone, benzene, methyl ethyl ketone, trichloroethene or trichloroethylene (TCE), vinyl chloride and xylenes. The proposed settlement would impact TH Agriculture & Nutrition LLC, formerly known as Thompson Hayward Chemical Co. and Elementis Chemicals Inc., formerly known as Harcros Chemical Co., both of which used to operate the site, as well as current owner DD#1 LLC.

The settlement will require TH Agriculture & Nutrition and Elementis to manage groundwater containment and remediation systems at the site, which will continue until the contamination there and off-site has reduced. DD#1 will allow access for the cleanup work.

The settlement, which was proposed by EPA Region 7, is open to public comment for a 30-day period, which began with its announcement on Monday.