At a recent meeting of the regional water control board
’s perchlorate community advisory committee, Mayor Dennis
Kennedy urged further perchlorate testing of wells north of the
former Olin road flare factory.
At a recent meeting of the regional water control board’s perchlorate community advisory committee, Mayor Dennis Kennedy urged further perchlorate testing of wells north of the former Olin road flare factory.
Three Morgan Hill municipal wells located north of the site, which is acknowledged by Olin to be the cause of a perchlorate plume moving in a southerly direction from its now-closed factory, have in the past tested positive for actionable levels – more than 4 parts per billion – of perchlorate. There also are reports that some private wells north of the Olin factory have tested positive for perchlorate.
Complicating matters is the historical presence of several fertilizer plants that dotted the area around the turn of the last century – 19th to 20th. It is not known what affect – if any – the factories’ residue may have had on the underground water supply.
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has agreed that testing is needed, but wants to get Olin to agree to pay for it – which Olin says it is unwilling to do.
“What that means to Olin in our discussions with the regional board is that the perchlorate detections north of Tennant Avenue are unrelated to the Olin site …” Olin’s Rick McClure said.
The testing needs to be done first, the quibbling about who will pay for it should be a secondary matter.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District and the state Regional Water Quality Control Board need to pay for the testing now, and when and if a responsible party can be found, then they can seek reimbursement.
But finding out if South Valley’s water is poisoned can’t wait.
Olin says the groundwater flows to the southeast of its former factory site, so any perchlorate contamination to the north isn’t likely to be its responsibility.
Another suspected culprit, United Technology Corp.’s rocket testing and manufacturing center off Metcalf Road in south San Jose, has been discounted by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, which has jurisdiction over that area. Tom Mohr, hydrology engineer of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which has been watching the UTC clean-up for 15 years said it was “possible but unlikely” that the company’s perchlorate would be affecting Morgan Hill wells.
But all the bickering over whose fault the perchlorate may be doesn’t matter right now. What’s important now is finding out where the perchlorate is. That requires well testing – and until or if a polluter is found, the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will have to foot the bill.
South Valley’s taxes handsomely support these agencies. In this time of crisis, they need to support South Valley by testing first, quibbling over the bills later.
On the good news front, City Manager Ed Tewes told the City Council Wednesday that, for the second straight month, all Morgan Hill city wells tested non-detect – below 4 ppb.
Bad news came to Gilroy, however, when a well on Gilman Avenue, well south of Leavesley Avenue, proved to have detectable levels of the chemical. Previously no well south of Leavesley tested positive.
• Officials of the Santa Clara Valley Water District encourage residents who have had their wells tested privately, especially those north of Tennant Avenue, to send them the test results whether the wells tested positive or not. SCVWD, Attn. Perchlorate, 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686; 265-2600. More details at www.valleywater.org
