Pauline Farm Store (Former FCA) Site

The Pauline Farm Store (Former FCA) Site located at 416 SW 57th Street, in Topeka, Kansas, was used for agribusiness operations that included fertilizer and pesticide storage, blending, and handling beginning in 1949. In addition to the agribusiness operations, a fueling station associated with the former Farmers Cooperative Association (FCA) was located on the southern end of the Site, while a reflective paint manufacturer operated on a portion of the property for 25 years. The property is zoned light industrial use and is currently vacant except for the former fueling station, which is not in operation, and three inactive underground storage tanks.

Final Agency Decision Statement 

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) asked for public comments regarding the proposal to address this environmental contamination. KDHE selected a final remedy after reviewing and considering all information submitted during 15-day public comment period February 2 through February 16, 2023. The Final Agency Decision Statement (ADS) presents KDHE’s preferred alternative after considering public comments. 


  1. Background
  2. Documents
  3. Figures

Site Background

Historical agribusiness and fueling operations resulted in impacts to soil and groundwater on the property. The petroleum-related fuel impacts were addressed under the KDHE Storage Tanks Program (U4-089-10005). Prior to the former owner/operator FCA declaring bankruptcy in 2001, Phase I and Phase II Site Assessments were conducted, which identified benzene, nitrate, trichloroethylene (TCE), and methylene chloride, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene in soil, as well as benzene, ethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, TCE and its degradation products, and 1,1-dichloroethylene in groundwater above their respective Tier 2 Risk-based Standards for Kansas (RSK) and/or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for Drinking Water. In April 2002, Dean Forbes entered the Site into the KDHE Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program (VCPRP); I August 2002, the property was sold to Lindemuth, Inc. The property was terminated from the VCPRP in September 2003, and an Administrative Order (Case No. 04-E-122) was issued by KDHE in July 2004 to Lindemuth, Inc. to perform a Comprehensive Investigation (CI). 

The CI and its multiple addendums were completed by various parties from 2005 – 2019. Soil and groundwater analyses, detected arsenic above the RSK in soil, while benzene, TCE, arsenic, lead, chromium, nitrate, 4,4’- Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons – Medium Range Organics (TPH-MRH) were detected above their RSKs/MCLs in overburden (shallow) groundwater onsite. In August 2020 a groundwater potability evaluation was performed to determine if the aquifer is potable based on KDHE Bureau of Environmental Remediation Policy #BER-RS-045 Considerations for Groundwater Potability and Use Determinations (PDF). Based on Step-Drawdown Aquifer Test results for the overburden and bedrock zones, the overburden was determined to be non-potable (i.e., cannot sustain a long-term yield of at least 100 gallons of water per day).