Ace Services, Colby, is a 2.5 acre site and was originally a chrome plating factory that plating was applied to farm machinery. The factory was in operation from 1969 to 1989, and from 1969 to 1974 the wastewater generated during the chrome plating process at the facility was discharged to the ground surface west of a tributary of the Prairie Dog Creek. In 1974 and 1975 Ace Services installed concrete retention vats and an evaporation lagoon for wastewater. The lagoon, however, was unlined and the chromium(VI)-contaminated water was allowed to infiltrate into the ground and contaminate soil and groundwater. (1, 2)

Chromium a naturally occurring element, found in the environment as chromium(III), which is an essential nutrient. Chromium (III) is more stable in the environment than chromium (IV) which can be reduced to chromium (III) by reacting with organic matter and other reducing agents. Chromium(0) and chromium(VI) are the result of industrial processes. Chromium can strongly attach to soil particles, however small amounts can be moved through groundwater. In water chromium is most often found in the +3 valence state, which is influenced by the level of disinfection and presence of reducible organics. Inhalation of large quantities of chromium(VI) can lead to nasal irritation. Ingesting large quantities of this element can cause stomach, liver and kidney damage and even possible death. Chromium(VI) has been determined to be a human carcinogen. (19, 20)

This area gets it's water from the Ogallala Aquifer, which is the primary source for municipal and private drinking water. On of the drinking wells supplying the city of Colby with water is 1/5 mile from the site. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) closed this well in 1980 because of chromium concentrations that were above Federal drinking water standards. Other contaminants at this site include bulk hazardous wastes and caustic acidic processing materials which were removed by the KDHE in 1992. In 1994 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed residual contamination from the building interior, removed both a concrete trough and wastewater treatment building and excavated the underlying soil, and excavated, stabilized and treated soil from the lagoon. Everything removed was shipped off-site for treatment and disposal, except for 3,000 gallons of waster water that was treated onsite and discharged to a publicly owned treatment plant. (1, 2)