Contaminated Groundwater Concerns Confront Kansas Panasonic Plant

An upcoming economic power move in Kansas comes with risks.

Here's a glimpse at concerns that have been downplayed but should concern workers and nearby residents that'll have to live with the results . . . Check-it:

Meanwhile, the investigation about the exact location of the contaminated groundwater that needs to be cleaned up is continuing. “We’re not at that point yet to work with different remedies for addressing whatever contamination is found in the groundwater,” says Ian Thomas, the Army’s Base Realignment and Closure project manager. The Army does expect to do long-term monitoring of the site, Thomas says.

“The Army no longer owns any of the property,” Smith says. “So we’re just finishing our obligation here on the property.”

The battery plant is on target to begin operations in early 2025, with the expectation that soil and groundwater remediation efforts around the plant will still be active. But Smith addressed whether or not residential housing can be safely accommodated on land near the battery plant during a public meeting with DeSoto residents in June 2023. He said it’s a question the Army can’t answer, citing differences in approved levels of cleanup between industrial sites like Sunflower and residential development sites.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KC Magazine: A multibillion-dollar development bonanza is haunted by decades-old land concerns

Developing . . .