From the Wichita Eagle: In 2011, while investigating the possible expansion of a Kwik Shop, the state discovered dry cleaning chemicals had contaminated groundwater at 412 W. Grand in Haysville.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment didn’t act for more than six years.
“We didn’t find out for 7 years,” said Joe Hufman, whose well was contaminated by a Haysville dry cleaner.
KDHE knew it.
The Kansas Drycleaner Environmental Response Act was passed at the request of the dry cleaning industry to protect the small businesses from the potentially crippling cost of federal involvement.
The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Superfund program, can pay to clean up water pollution and then bill any and all companies ever associated with the property to recover its money.
To raise money to investigate and clean up pollution, the state passed a tax on dry cleaning chemicals.
The Kansas legislature passed a law called The Kansas Drycleaner Environmental Response Act that specifically forbade local and state environmental from looking for contamination from…wait for it…dry cleaners!
It wasn’t until 2017 that KDHE realized groundwater was actually flowing to the southeast: directly along the creek and directly toward a cluster of private drinking wells.
The Hufmans’ well had 49 parts per billion of PCE in it, nearly 10 times the allowed level.