[CPEO-BIF] Prospects for innovative technologies at the "MEW" Regional Plume, Mountain View, CA

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

[The "MEW" area in my community of Mountain View, California, was the  
birthplace of the semiconductor industry. Despite the massive legacy  
of contamination left by those firms, it is one of the nation's most  
successful Superfund redevelopment areas. The challenge today is to  
accelerate the ongoing groundwater remediation. For background, see  
my piece at http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/RegionalPlume.pdf. - LS]

Toxic cleanup at a snail's pace

by Daniel DeBolt

Mountain View Voice (CA)
October 7, 2011

Despite the existence of new, cheaper technologies that promise a  
much faster cleanup, polluters including Intel, Raytheon and  
Fairchild Semiconductor spend over $5 million a year to operate "pump  
and treat" systems in the northeastern portion of Mountain View, the  
EPA reports.

While the systems have removed over 91,000 pounds of TCE since the  
contaminant was discovered in 1981, the substantial plume that  
remains in the Middlefield Road, Ellis Road and Whisman Street area  
(MEW) is not expected to change appreciably in the next 10 years  
using pump and treat, the EPA said. The EPA is now studying  
alternatives, but a "draft feasibility study" is not expected until  
sometime next year and an actual plan may be years away.

...

But the challenge with using such technologies at the MEW is that  
buildings and businesses stand in the way of placing it in the  
ground, which may be an increasing problem as the MEW area has become  
prime real estate for tech companies. EPA project manager Alana Lee  
said Verisign blocked a proposal for in-situ treatment on an MEW  
property at one point because it would have interfered with its  
ongoing use of the property.


...

For the entire article, see
http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=4819&e=y

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
 
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