At a recent meeting of the regional water control board’s
perchlorate community advisory committee, Morgan Hill 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, Morgan Hill 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 tested positive for actionable levels – more than 4 parts per billion – of perchlorate.
There are also reports that some private wells north of the Olin factory have tested positive for perchlorate.
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 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 Board, which has jurisdiction over that area.
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.
