Kansas City Richards-Gebaur Cleanup Eternal

An EXCEPTIONAL write-up that deserves a peek if only to get an enduring look at the military industrial complex in action . . . Check-it . . .

The base was active during World War II and the Cold War years, but was shut down in 1994 when most of the land was transferred to KCMO. Twenty years ago Port KC was tasked with establishing an industrial hub there. Now the hub is a commerce park near I-49 and 150 Highway. Together with other properties, the area has been branded as 49 Crossing.

While the military no longer owns the Air Force base, they remain responsible for its cleanup . . . Most cleanup efforts have been directed at groundwater, although one major past project was removing airborne asbestos from steam heating pipes and transformers in military buildings. In another project nicknamed “the Big Dig,” massive amounts of soil from a fuel tank yard and a firing range were scooped out . . . Toxins in the soil never registered at the hazardous level, and the dirt was used as daily cover for a landfill.

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

Contamination clean up at Richards-Gebaur has been a 25-year project

Cleanup specialists are asking the public if anyone has suggestions on how to address various spots of contamination left over from the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in south Kansas City. If enough people are interested, a community group called a restoration advisory board will be formed.