Revised On: Jan. 3, 2024 - 11:00 a.m.

Registry placement date: April 10, 1998

Score: 50

County: Maricopa

Location

West Phoenix, approximately bounded to the north by West Roosevelt Street, to the east by 7th Avenue, to the south by West Lower Buckeye Road, and to the west by 75th Avenue. In addition, the site includes a finger shaped plume between approximately West Durango Street and South 19th Avenue to West Pima Street and South 24th Avenue.

If you own a private well, live in or near the site boundaries, and have not had your well tested, please contact ADEQ.

Contaminants of Concern

Tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2-DCE), 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) and chromium

Action Taken

Under Consent Orders or Working Agreements, some impacted facilities implemented contaminant source removal using soil vapor extraction, excavation, and/or groundwater pump and treat remedies. Other facilities continue to be monitored and/or evaluated through other ADEQ programs such as the Voluntary Remediation Program and the Hazardous Waste Program. Additionally, some facilities have settled their liability with ADEQ.

Periodic groundwater monitoring and sampling has been performed at the West Van Buren Site since 1989. Results from a 2019 sampling event indicated that the groundwater contaminant plume has reduced in extent and in concentration | View Document >

Groundwater sampling performed by Synergy in February 2021 at select wells (AVB120-01, AVB120-02, AVB120-03 and AVB124-01) within the West Van Buren Site indicated the detection of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) compounds at concentrations well below the EPA health guidance level.

Status:  In 2018, ADEQ requested that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take jurisdiction of the West Van Buren Site either as a separate Superfund Site or as an extension of the up-gradient Motorola 52nd (M52) Street Superfund Site | View/Download Document >

Status

In June 2019, ADEQ submitted a Technical Memorandum to the EPA, which presented evidence showing that TCE has and continues to migrate into the West Van Buren Site from the up-gradient M52 Site. In June 2020, the EPA informed ADEQ that instead of extending the western boundary of the M52 site into the West Van Buren Site, the EPA would conduct a Preliminary Assessment (PA) to determine whether the West Van Buren Site qualifies as a separate Superfund, National Priorities List site. Part of the PA will involve a soil gas study across the West Van Buren Site. The PA field activities performed by EPA concluded in 2021 and the PA report is pending.

Extensive data and analysis completed for the site show no significant risk to public health, including children and other susceptible populations | Learn More >

Community Advisory Board (CAB)

Formed but has not met on a regular basis since 2015. ADEQ is committed to keeping the community informed as more information becomes available, and community members living and working in the area of the West Van Buren Site have been informed of and encouraged to participate in every stage of the investigation and cleanup process | View/Download CIP >