The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will be hearing from a representative with the U-S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with regard to about a below ground contaminated site in Atlantic.  During their 5:30-p.m. meeting, the Council will hear from Susan Fisher, who also made a presentation to the Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) Board of Trustees  during their meeting on September 22nd.

AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes says the EPA is conducting a Removal Assessment of a site in Atlantic contaminated with Tetrachloroethylene (PCE). PCE is a manufactured chemical typically used in dry cleaning solvents. The source of the contamination is believed to be the former Norge Dry Cleaners Facility near the area of 1205 E. 7th Street. Based on historical data, the building that housed the former dry cleaners was demolished sometime after 1982.

PCE was originally detected in 1980. EPA is currently reassessing the area to ensure that contamination levels at the site are protective of human health and the environment. Atlantic Municipal Utilities has operated and maintained an interceptor well since 1980 to keep the resulting underground plume migrating from the contamination site from impacting the municipal water supply well field.

Tjepkes says AMU continues to perform regular testing to monitor the public drinking water supply wells to ensure that drinking water does not become contaminated with PCE. He says also AMU is working closely with the EPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as they continue their assessment, to encourage cleanup efforts for the site.