Location and Description: The former Lincoln Air Force Base Atlas "F" Missile Site 1 is located in
Cass County, just southeast of Elmwood, NE. The site was operational
between 1961 and 1965. Site facilities consisted of an underground, reinforced-concrete launch silo,
connecting underground launch control center, a water treatment plant, three water wells, a cooling tower,
a septic tank with subsurface sand filter, a water treatment holding pond, two corrugated-steel igloos, and
two underground fuel tanks.
The construction of the missile site's facilities took place in 1961 and 1962. All
permanent structures remain at the site. The site was turned over to the General Services Administration
in 1965. In 1967, the site was conveyed to a private owner. Since 1979, the land has been used as an
auto salvage yard.
Problem and Response: Trichloroethylene (TCE) was used during operation and decommissioning
of the former missile site. Previous environmental investigations at the site were performed between 1989
and 1995. These studies included a site investigation, a limited field investigation, and a supplemental
water supply sampling event. Subsequent investigations were planned, but access to the property was
denied until 2005.
Analysis of data from the prior investigations indicated the need for a groundwater
remedial investigation to delineate the extent of TCE contamination in groundwater to determine whether
the groundwater poses a potential threat to human health or the environment. A sample was taken from
the production well that is currently in service at the site. The production well is currently not to be used for
drinking water at the site. The land owner has been notified of the
contamination and is being supplied bottled water.
Current use of
water from the production well is used for industrial and agricultural use
only. Additional wells were installed to delineate the extent of
contamination on the current owner’s and adjacent owner’s properties.
The remedial investigation and feasibility study reports have been
completed and approved by the Nebraska Department of
Environmental Quality.
Field activities during 2010 included the
installation of 32 membrane interface probe borings, 10 soil borings
with soil sampling to confirm probe boring results, 29 new monitoring
wells, ground water sampling from all existing and newly installed wells
(53 total monitoring wells at the site), and completion of two aquifer
tests (one shallow and one deep). In addition, the site has been
connected to the local rural water district water service to replace the
use of the onsite water wells.
Pilot test activities were finished in
September 2010. A final volume refinement summary report was
completed in October 2011. The option was awarded as part of the
response complete effort to accomplish site closure by 2018.
Activities for 2015: Performance of monitoring to obtain 70% reduction of mass contamination.
Activities for 2016: Continued performance to reach 90% removal of the
contamination.