Location and Description: The former Lincoln Air Force Base Atlas "F" Missile Site 10 is
located in York County, about five miles west of York, Neb. The site was operational between
1964 and 1965. Site facilities consisted of an underground, reinforced-concrete launch silo,
connecting underground launch control center, a water treatment plant, two 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.
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 1994 and 2008. These studies include a two-phased site investigation, followed
by a remedial investigation/feasibility study and a supplemental remedial investigation/feasibility study.
A contract was awarded in 2004 to achieve site closure by
2014. Pre-design studies conducted by the contractor revealed the extent of the groundwater
contamination was significantly greater than had been previously identified. In 2008, the contract was
modified to install a soil vapor extraction soil treatment system and three groundwater intercept,
treatment, and reinjection systems.
Another contract was awarded in June 2009 to operate the treatment
systems. On October 21, 2010, a public meeting was held in York, Neb., to present the
proposed plan for remediation of the contaminated soil and groundwater. The public comment period
for the proposed plan officially closed on November 19, 2010. In December of 2014 the source area
soil remediation was completed. The soil vapor extraction system was abandoned and all government and contractor
equipment was removed from the landowner’s property.
Activities for 2015: Continued treatment system operation and maintenance,
installation of new injection and monitoring wells along the plume to capture TCE spread, and perform vapor
intrusion evaluations.
Proposed Activties for 2016: Continue
treatment system operation and maintenance and
long-term monitoring.