Updated 4 p.m. Representatives from Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency held a public meeting last night at Bleyl Middle School to update community members on the proposed plan to address a contaminated groundwater site in the Cypress Shopping Center at 11600 Jones Road, just north of FM 1960 . From 1988 to 2002, Bell Dry Cleaners used the chemical perchloroethylene in their cleaning process. According to EPA officials, the chemicals were disposed of improperly, contaminating the groundwater in the area, including privately owned wells. Since April 2003, the EPA has been working to purify the water and make it consumable. The purpose of the meeting was to receive public comment on revising the treatment method—originally developed in 2010—to include additional remedies to remove newly identified contamination sources. Many of the new contamination sources were found at deeper levels, or zones, during the project design phase, said Camille Hueni, remedial project manager for Region 6. She said further action is being taken to address new contamination issues. “In our design phase, we found that [chemical contaminant] zone also carries a pretty good soil vapor contaminant zone,” she said. “The original technology we used for the shallow area source was not feasible for cleaning it... We have the shallow zone we were going after but then deeper is the soil vapor we’re going after now.” In 2008, the EPA installed a water line and connections to a total of 144 homes and businesses near the site to provide them with an alternative water source. In 2011, the EPA finished an initiative to plug and abandon the ground water wells of customers who were connected to the new line. Construction for the new project to remove the waste is expected to begin in October and finish in December. During a portion of the meeting where EPA officials took questions from the public, officials said business owners occupying the space are safe from the contaminated groundwater at this time, as well as from the injections of HCL that are going to be used to clean the area. “Of course everything we do has a basis in assessing the risk of human health,” Hueni said. “We know that [concrete] slab has been a barrier for vapor accumulation in the soil below it. We are watching it very carefully and we have been monitoring the slab and the indoor air. We realize that it can change, so it’s something we’ve been watching for in our monitoring.” Hueni also said the buildings in general are safe from the soil underneath and do not need to be removed. “We can always consider it,” she said. “You can dot your ‘I’s and cross your ‘T’s without having to tear down someone’s business.” The entire project is targeted to be finished within two to three years, Hueni said. The public comment period, where written comments can be sent to EPA representatives, is open from Aug. 7 to Sept. 7. Letters can be sent to 1445 Ross Avenue, Ste. 1200, Dallas, TX 75202. Comments can also be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected]. Correction: A previous version of this story linked to a map showing the site along Jones Road near Jersey Village. The map has been updated with the correct site at 11600 Jones Road, just north of FM 1960.