Location and Description: The former Lincoln Air Force Base Atlas Missile Site 6 is
located four miles north of Tecumseh in Johnson County, NE. The site is typical of
the Atlas “F” design and construction. Facilities included: the underground reinforced concrete
launch silo and the connecting underground launch control center; water treatment plant with
four underground water storage tanks; a cooling tower; a septic tank with subsurface sand filter;
a holding pond; an incinerator; two Quonset huts; and one underground fuel tank. A helicopter
landing pad was located outside the fence east of the site. In addition, an industrial waste pond
was constructed to hold the overflow material from the bottom of the missile silo. The site within
the security fence encompasses approximately 4.25 acres. The United States Air Force used
the site between 1962 and 1965. Activities conducted at the site included repair, maintenance,
and operation of the on-site missile facility.
Problem and Response: A 2010 site inspection report shows trichloroethylene (TCE)
groundwater contamination at 1,500 micrograms per liter, which is above the maximum
contaminant level in groundwater.
Activities for 2015: Complete a remedial investigation and supplemental feasibility study
of the site to identify the nature and extent of the
TCE plume. Complete a pilot study to investigate
using activated carbon to remediate a TCE plume
in the shallow perched aquifer.
Proposed Activities for 2016: Complete the feasibility study and start preliminary work
on remedial activities.
Issues and Other Information: The TCE contamination is present at the north end of
the site and groundwater flow is to the north-northeast. A remedial investigation was completed for the site in 2012, and a
data gap investigation was completed in early 2015. The data gap sampling
involved installing several groundwater monitoring wells at the 50-foot depth and the 150-foot depth. The feasibility study scheduled for 2015 will determine the most
feasible clean-up approach.