MOSES LAKE - The payment of $58.25 million in clean-up funds means more underground well sampling near the former Larson Air Force Base.

The work is expected to start later this summer or early this fall, said Rod Lobos, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently.

The clean-up is being done because of contamination that happened near the base in the 1950s or 1960s, from the industrial solvent trichloroethylene, or TCE.

TCE is used to strip paint from airplanes, wash airplane parts and clean missile parts.

The TCE was used during the operations of the former base and other activities associated with the aircraft industry.

The issue was a factor in 2003 when Boeing was considering Moses Lake for a new 7E7 plant, said Moses Lake Mayor Jon Lane during a previous interview with the Columbia Basin Herald.

"One of the things against Moses Lake was the contamination issue," Lane said. "We're dealing with that. That's been resolved."

Moses Lake is again being considered for a Boeing project, along with other cities in Washington state.

In June, Gov. Chris Gregoire's advisor visited Moses Lake and met with community leaders to keep the Boeing 737 made in the state.

With the clean up near Moses Lake, the EPA hopes to continue underground well sampling, said Lobos, of the EPA. The work had been done by the US Army Corps of Engineers and a contractor, he explained.

Depending on what is found, they may look at taking additional soil samples to test for contamination.

"We'll start out with a well or two and will end up going to a full pump and treat system," he said in part.

The EPA will notify the public through media when drilling starts.

The area, also referred to as the Superfund site, includes about 1,000 acres of groundwater. It starts beneath the former Larson Air Force Base and reaches about four miles toward Moses Lake, according to the EPA.

The Grant County International Airport and the Cascade Valley are also among the affected area.

No one has reported becoming ill from the TCE in Grant County.

In December, about $58.25 million was awarded to the EPA for the underground cleanup as part of a settlement agreement.

The federal government paid about $55 million in funds, with the $3.25 million remainder provided by The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin and the City of Moses Lake, according to a Dec. 24, 2010, Columbia Basin Herald article.

The city was required to pay $750,000 for clean up because it was viewed as a potential pollutant.

The city owns a wastewater treatment facility in the area.

The city's insurance company paid the amount and at the same time, the city received $3 million in damages through the settlement.