[CPEO-MEF] Bermite water cleanup at issue

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

Bermite water cleanup at issue
By Heather MacDonald
Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Castaic Lake Water Agency officials said this week they
are frustrated that state officials have yet to approve their plan to
clean the polluted groundwater below the defunct Bermite munitions
factory.

Agency officials want to pump polluted water from the four wells shut
down five years ago after tests revealed high concentrations of
perchlorate, a rocket fuel byproduct, and treat it with a high-tech
ion-exchange system.

"We can't wait anymore," said Mary Lou Cotton, the assistant to the CLWA
general manager. "It's crazy just to sit back and let the perchlorate
seep deeper and spread further."

However, officials from the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the
state agency overseeing the cleanup, have their reservations about
CLWA's plan. Their concern is that pumping the contaminated wells could
spread the pollution plume and make the problem worse.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200%257E20949%257E951529,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~