GILROY
– The California Environmental Protection Agency is forcing the
company that contaminated the South Valley groundwater basin with
perchlorate to continue its bottled water deliveries to owners of
impacted wells.
GILROY – The California Environmental Protection Agency is forcing the company that contaminated the South Valley groundwater basin with perchlorate to continue its bottled water deliveries to owners of impacted wells.
The Regional Water Quality Control Board – an arm of the California EPA – issued a letter Thursday requiring Olin Corp. to continue its bottled water program.
After the state’s Department of Health Services raised perchlorate’s safety level from 4 parts per billion to 6 ppb, Olin asked the state if it could discontinue the deliveries to roughly 600 well owners from Morgan Hill to Gilroy whose wells historically have tested under 6 ppb.
“Olin shall continue to supply bottled water to affected well owners whose wells test over 4 ppb … ,” stated Roger Briggs, the Executive Officer of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, in a letter to Olin officials. “While this standard is 2 ppb lower than the Department of Health Services (safety) level, we believe there are several factors that warrant further consideration before raising the replacement water level to 6 ppb.”
Briggs stated three reasons for making Olin continue bottled water delivery. Those reasons follow:
• Since the perchlorate discharge has caused a condition of pollution or nuisance, Olin is required to abate potential and actual negative effects.
• Groundwater quality can change drastically during the wet and dry seasons, so perchlorate levels could drop below 6 ppb at one time and rise above 6 ppb the next.
• Lab tests have a 20 percent margin of error, so perchlorate levels could be above 6 ppb but test at 5 ppb or lower.
The state’s decision was welcomed news for San Martin residents who pressed officials to make Olin continue its deliveries.
“I’m very, very pleased because the Regional Water Quality Control Board is listening to the community,” said Sylvia Hamilton, a San Martin resident who has led the fight to rid perchlorate from area wells. “This is some very good news.”
Other news from the Olin camp did not please Hamilton Thursday.
According to Hamilton, Olin has announced it will stop bottled water deliveries to owners of wells contaminated below 4 ppb.
There is not much Hamilton and other residents can do apparently.
“I would have preferred no change at all in their delivered water program,” Hamilton said. “But their within their rights evidently.”
