Open House set Saturday for residents impacted by the 29th & Grove contamination site

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - On Saturday, residents of northeast Wichita will have the chance to engage with environmental specialists and project leaders regarding remediation efforts for the contamination site at 29th and Grove. This includes discussions about a network of groundwater extraction wells.

Union Pacific will host a Community Open House at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, located at 2755 E. 19th Street, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event will feature various interactive booths as well.

“It’s a science fair, it’s like going to a science fair at school, you go from table to table, they have hands-on activities, what is that?” said Aujanae Bennett with the Wichita Independent Neighborhood Association.

The contamination site is located along the northern part of a Union Pacific (UP) Railroad rail yard south of the K-96 Highway, between Highway I-135 and Grove Street. Contaminants were found during investigations to redevelop the 21st Street corridor between I-135 and Grove Street. They included trichloroethene (TCE) and associated degradation compounds including 1,2-dichoroethene, 1,1-dichlorothene, and vinyl chloride. TCE is a solvent commonly used for metal degreasing and linked to high cancer rates.

“The ideal would be to have a town hall where the entire community and the city can come and be a part to be able to ask pertinent questions and get answers, solid answers, from the people who have those answers,” she said.

Union Pacific and KDHE have held previous meetings regarding the contamination site. The last meeting on June 1, 2024, provided information on the vapor intrusion re-evaluation and encouraged property owners to sign up for indoor air testing.

On Friday, Union Pacific said that recent air testing results were below Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) safety screening levels, “which indicate no immediate health concerns.”