N.M. County Approves Fracking Ban

By: Nathan Lamb

Citing a desire to protect local water supplies, Mora, New Mexico, has become the first county in the United States to ban fracking, according to this story from the L.A. Times.

Energy companies use "fracking"—hydraulic fracturing—to extract hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits from the ground. The process involves using a pressurized cocktail of water, sand and chemicals to fracture underground rock. Federal law doesn't require companies to disclose what chemicals are used; they are considered trade secrets. This has spurred water quality concerns in communities across the country.

While fracking has proved lucrative to landowners who lease mining rights, a number of communities are looking to ban or slow the spread of fracking wells. Pittsburgh was the first, in 2010, and more than a dozen east coast cities have followed suit.

The Mora ordinance that bans fracking cites the county's authority to regulate commercial activity.

Fracking is not regulated in California, where several cities are considering bans or moratoriums.

Culver City, which includes part of the 1,000-acre Inglewood Oil Field, is considering a proposed six-year moratorium, while the long-term air and water impacts of fracking are studied.

The California Department of Conservation is also finalizing statewide regulations for fracking.

The Environmental Protection Agency's study of the impacts of fracking on drinking water sources is slated for release in 2014.

City Waiting on Water-Supply Fix

By: Nathan Lamb

Residents of a southern California city may have had drinking water contaminated by a nearby munitions complex, according to this story from the Los Angeles Times.

Multiple city wells have been shut down in the City of Rialto, which is importing drinking water until widespread groundwater contamination is fixed.

The wells are tainted primarily with perchlorate, a persistent contaminant that can cause thyroid problems, especially with pregnant women and children.

A 2012 study by the California Department of Public Health indicated that drinking water supplied to Rial residents may have contained elevated levels of perchlorate from 1979 to 1997. The perchlorate has been traced back to production of ammunition, rocket fuel and fireworks at an industrial complex.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently reached binding agreements with several companies that will foot the bill for cleanup. The full scope of the problem is still being determined, but current estimates have the cleanup costing at least $140 million and taking 30 years or more.

According to the EPA website, perchlorate sometimes occurs naturally and is highly soluble in water. Human exposure is typically through contaminated drinking water, and large doses of perchlorate can cause irritation, coughing, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Rialto is located approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles.

Contaminated Wells Could Spark New Rules

By: Nathan Lamb

Officials from Somers, Connecticut are considering mandatory testing for private wells, after recent samples discovered uranium and arsenic in local drinking water, according to this story from the Journal Inquirer.

The issue came to light when officials tested more than 50 local wells. Town sanitarian Steven Jacobs didn’t give a specific number, but said high levels of contaminants were found in a small percentage of samples.

Arsenic and uranium are thought to have leeched into the water from bedrock, resulting in isolated pockets of contamination.

According the EPA, high levels of uranium can lead to increased cancer risk and/or liver damage. Arsenic—a naturally occurring, odorless and tasteless semi-metal—is linked to increased risk for a variety of cancers.

Two-thirds of the roughly 10,000 residents in Somers are on private wells. Jacobs said the town doesn’t regulate those drinking supplies, but that could change. The town’s Water Pollution and Control Authority recently collaborated with state health and environmental officials to draft an ordinance that would require testing of private wells.

Jacobs said the ordinance is still under development. In the meantime he advised residents with private wells to voluntarily do the testing.

Somers is located roughly 20 miles northeast of Hartford.

Highway Garage Linked to New York Water Problems

By: Nathan Lamb

The State of New York is considering several fixes for contaminated wells near a highway maintenance garage in the town of East Fishkill, according to this story from the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The problem of unsafe levels of sodium and chloride in groundwater near the garage was discovered in 1995, and the state has funded bottled water and testing for some of the garage neighbors since then.
  
The State Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a draft proposal that outlined several possible fixes, including installing new wells for seven of the neighbors, relocating the garage's salt storage facility, or installing a reserve-osmosis system to treat the water. Adding new well fields was another possibility.

DOT representatives held a special meeting to outline those measures for the residents and get feedback.

Road salt has been a concern for environmental officials in recent years due to its impact on aquatic life and drinking water. A report from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services cautions that chloride is toxic to aquatic life and impacts vegetation—adding it’s completely soluble, very mobile and there’s no natural process that removes it from the environment.

That same report says sodium can be a problematic drinking water contaminant for people on low-sodium diets.  

East Fishkill is a town of roughly 29,000 people, approximately 70 miles north of New York City.

Contamination Study May Extend Veteran Benefits

By: Nathan lamb

A recent study has shed new light on long-standing water contamination issues at a North Carolina military base—and that could help veterans claiming adverse health impacts from their time at that post.

The study indicates that drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune had elevated levels of carcinogens for more than 60 years, according to this story from the Kansas City Star.

At peak levels, the contaminants were 150 times higher than safety standards—and the report estimated up to one million service personnel and their families may have been exposed while at the base.

A special law enacted in 2012 provides screening and health care for those at the base from 1957 to when the contaminated wells were closed in 1987—but the study suggests the problem could date back far as 1948.

Federal lawmakers are calling for additional hearings on the issue and a bill has been filed to extend coverage back to 1953, which is thought to be when the contamination first exceeded health standards, according to this story from the Washington Post.

The contaminants include trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial degreaser that can cause a variety of short- and long-term health impacts. The other contaminants were from dry-cleaning and fuel, according to the Marine Corps, which as recently as last year claimed there was insufficient evidence to link health problems to the drinking water.

Retired Marine Master Sergeant Jerry Ensminger has long alleged the connection between the camp water and health impacts. He was stationed at Lejeune and lost his 9-year-old daughter to a rare leukemia in 1985. Ensminger credited advocates like himself for bringing the issue to light.

Old Gas Leak Sparks Water Ban in Wisconsin

By: Nathan Lamb

Contaminants from an old gas leak have left residents of a Wisconsin apartment complex without drinking water for more than three months, according to this article from the Kenosha News.

Roughly 25 residents of the Lincoln Crest Apartments at Twin Lakes have been getting by on bottled water since high levels of a gasoline additive were discovered at the complex’s well by the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in late October.

The testing revealed methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a fuel octane heightening compound that’s considered a potential carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The contamination was traced back to leaky tanks at a neighboring gas station, which were removed in the early ‘90s. Contaminated soil was found up to 10 feet underground and excavated from the site, and shallow wells nearby were re-drilled because of the problem.

While leakage has stopped the gas station, the groundwater remains an issue. Contamination was discovered at two neighboring sites with deeper wells over the past five years. A DNR official says that it’s unclear how the contamination reached that deeper aquifer, but added that MBTE moves quickly though soil and can spread rapidly through groundwater.

A new and deeper well is being drilled for the Lincoln Crest Apartments, using funds from a state gas inspection tax.

Twin Lakes is a village of roughly 6,000 people, approximately 50 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

Dredging Blamed for Groundwater Woes in Maryland

By: Nathan Lamb

A dumping site formerly used to maintain a key canal between Baltimore and Philadelphia has contaminated drinking water in a Maryland community, according to this report in the Cecil Daily Whig.

A recently published U.S. Geological Survey concluded there’s “overwhelming evidence” the old Pearce Creek dredging disposal site in Earleville contaminated groundwater at the property and neighboring parcels.

The disposal site closed in 1992, but the study found concentrations of beryllium, arsenic, cadmium and thallium that exceed health advisories from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Also mentioned were high levels of sulfate, iron, chloride and low pH in the groundwater. The disposal site operated for 55 years, closing after neighbors on private wells complained about poor water quality.

The two-year study evaluated 35 wells at the disposal site and another 15 in the nearby West View Shores community. The majority of contaminants were found at the disposal site, but two residential wells contained high levels of beryllium, which can cause internal lesions.

The disposal site was operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A Corps spokesperson acknowledged the dredging was a “contributing factor” on the water quality, adding that the outcome was unexpected and previous water studies were inconclusive.

The Corps has been advocating reactivation of the disposal site as a cost-effective tool in maintaining the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which saves roughly 300 miles of sea jaunts between Baltimore to Philadelphia.

The Corps is proposing new containment measures at the Pearce Creek disposal site and has offered to drill new wells for the impacted neighbors. That proposal has already come under fire from at least some neighbors, who say that doesn’t address existing contaminants.

Earlville is off the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, roughly 70 miles east of Baltimore.

Study Highlights California Groundwater Contaminants

By: Nathan Lamb

Groundwater from the southern California desert has higher-than-average levels of naturally occurring contaminants, according to this story from the Desert Sun newspaper.

A recently released study from the U.S. Geological survey found contaminants in 42 percent of aquifers from the Coachella Valley, which is roughly 100 miles west of Los Angeles. The study found high levels of arsenic, boron, fluoride, molybdenum and strontium—all of which have been linked to adverse health impacts by the Environmental Protection Agency. The study did not evaluate samples from water utilities, which are subject to health regulations and often treat groundwater to remove contaminants.

A spokesperson from the Coachella Valley Water District stated their treated drinking water is in full compliance with health regulations, saying they average 18,000 quality tests annually. And Miranda Fram of the USGS groundwater monitoring program explained that "water delivered to [residents] meets water-quality standards.”

The U.S. Geological survey was billed as the most extensive evaluation of desert groundwater to-date, with the goal of getting a comprehensive picture on the issue. The study also evaluated acquirers in the Owens, Indian Wells and Antelope Valleys, along with the Mojave area and Colorado River basin.

Across the desert, contaminants were found in 35 percent of groundwater tapped by public drinking supplies, whereas the average ranges from 10-25 percent across most of the state. The report suggested that water typically stays underground longer in the desert, giving it more time to mix with contaminants.

EPA removing city water contaminants in Barstow, Calif.

By: Nathan Lamb


Federal officials are removing 1,100 tons of contaminated soil that sparked a water emergency at a southern Californian city, according to this article.

The City of Barstow was in a state of emergency with a temporary water ban in November of 2010, after perchlorate was found in the municipal water system. Residents were required to use bottled water until the system was flushed.

Perchlorate is a manmade and naturally occurring chemical used to produce rocket fuel and explosives, but can also be found in bleach and fertilizers, according the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website. Perchlorate levels in drinking water are regulated because of research indicating it can disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones for growth and development.

The contaminant is thought to have leeched from a former fireworks manufacturing site to one of the city’s main drinking wells.

An EPA investigation found “significant perchlorate contamination” at the site, which is now a residential area. The contaminant is thought to have migrated about 3,000 feet through a utility trench to reach the drinking water.

Launched in early December, the EPA cleanup will excavate the top three feet of soil from the contaminated area, relocating it to a toxic materials landfill.

The EPA plans to remove the top three feet of soil from the contaminated site and truck the dirt to a special landfill that handles toxic materials. The excavated site will then be covered with plastic and clean fill. Estimates have the cleanup complete within the month.

Barstow is roughly two hours northeast of Los Angeles by car, according to Google Maps.

Iowa Community Considers Trading Wells for Community Water

By: Duane Craig


Hills, Iowa residents who are in the path of an expanding underground plume of perchlorate are bracing for the day when they might be told their wells are contaminated with the chemical, according to this article.

Up to now, about 30 homes have been fitted with reverse osmosis water treatment systems to purify their well water, but the plume is on the move and is expected to affect even more homes, according to an official with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

But any new water well contamination will be met with two choices - drill a new well and hope it doesn’t come up contaminated, or vote for the installation of a municipal water system. People in the community have their own wells and only pay the cost of pumping the water. But, if a municipal system is set up, then the estimated monthly bill for 4,000 gallons is expected to be about $50, and everyone will be required to hook up.

The community, though, already has another water problem - nitrates. Voters decided against a municipal water system proposed in 2007 to address the issue. But now, there is $4.63 million available from the Environmental Protection Agency to address the nitrate problem, and $1.9 million of that is a forgivable loan with a low interest rate.

There are residents who were against the water system in 2007, that no longer are, mainly because of the newly available money and the potential for attracting new businesses because of having municipal water.

California Community Pestered by Pesticide-Tainted Water

By: Duane Craig

Every residential property in Livingston, Calif. that relies on water from city-owned wells can now expect 1,2,3-trichloropropane to be present to some degree in that water, according to an article in the Merced Sun-Star. Livingston’s water supplies have also had problems with elevated levels of arsenic and manganese.

Some local officials appear to be hoping the community accepts the long-term contamination prospects as well as they have. One councilman played down the threat saying it wasn’t serious and that levels of 1,2,3-trichloropropane fluctuate. He said he continues to use the city’s water and also gives it to his children. Another official pointed out the chemical, related to agriculture, had been widely used in the area and had prompted other communities to sue companies that produced and used it.

Livingston itself sued and received a $9 million settlement from companies that participated in the contamination, and local officials say the money is being used to clean up the problem. One approach under development is a specially-designed filter that will remove the chemical. The first of its kind is expected to be completed in fall of 2012.

Livingston is one of many communities across California dealing with the chemical. Its shortened name is 1,2,3-TCP and it was originally found at a Superfund site in the southern part of the state, according to information at the California Department of Health. At about the same time it was found in several wells across the state and in 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported its link to cancer in studies involving laboratory animals. The chemical was used to remove paint and varnish, to clean and degrease materials, as a cleaner during maintenance activities and as an intermediate chemical. It is a byproduct in the manufacture of pesticides based on dichloropropenes, and is used to make soil fumigants.

Land throughout the area near Livingston is heavily used for agricultural purposes leading many to think that its problem is related to pesticide use. Livingston is in Merced County and that county has 25 instances of 1,2,3-TCP being detected in water sources, but the number of detections is on the low side compared to other places in California. For example, Kern County has 108 detections, followed by Los Angeles with 46. Altogether California has 336 sources of water where 1,2,3-TCP has been detected. Still, that might be an optimistic measurement of the potential problem since it doesn’t include 36 inactive, abandoned or destroyed water sources, and doesn’t include agricultural water sources and monitoring wells.

Illinois Residents Left Wondering About Vinyl Chloride Contamination

By: Duane Craig

Residents of Sauk Village, Ill. want some answers about vinyl chloride that has been contaminating their water since 2009, but there have been few answers coming their way, according to this article, and this one.

During June and July 2012, crowded, anger-infused public meetings resulted in one of them being shut down as people accused the local government and the state of not providing enough information on the dangers of the contamination. Distressed residents also wondered why so little had been done since the pollution was discovered three years ago.

By early August 2012, air strippers were operating at the village’s wells #1 and #2, and seven test wells were planned for installation throughout August to sample water and determine not only contamination levels but also the direction contamination is moving through the ground, according to this Illinois document.

Environmental officials don’t know the source of the contamination and have said that it may never be known. But the lack of that information hasn’t been as contentious as the lack of reliable and consistent information on when it was safe to use the water and when it was not safe. At one time residents were told that officials could not confirm whether the water was safe. Part of that issue stems from Environmental Protection Agency guidelines on vinyl chloride in water. The agency sets a limit of 2 parts per billion as the action level -- the amount of the contamination that requires action to reduce its presence. The EPA however also states that no amount of vinyl chloride is safe in drinking water. Meanwhile, Illinois has an action level of 1 ppb as a safety level to ensure contamination is caught in time to take action before it reaches the federal limit.

Other concerns arose over the nature of vinyl chloride. As a volatile organic compound it easily transfers to air, posing vapor intrusion risks in buildings where it can be inhaled by occupants. That same characteristic is what makes it easier to deal with by stripping it out into air in specially-designed water cleaning systems. Still, residents have been left wondering about their exposure to the water during the time it was not being treated. Those concerns extended to uses other than for drinking, such as using it for bathing, washing dishes and boiling foods. Businesses, especially restaurants, had received conflicting guidance that left them wondering if their premises were safe, or whether they should be serving food. Even after treatment, questions remain about safety if any of the contaminant still remains, even amounts below the state’s action level.

Pesticide Becomes Florida Community's Pest

By: Duane Craig

As DeLand, Fla. recently learned, there is no escaping the consequences of trying to control the environment, and the living things within it. Comfortable residents, some with golf course views and many with country club memberships in the Country Club Estates community now know one of the true costs of striving for a bug-free environment.

The pesticide, dieldrin, has been found in nearly 50 percent of the wells tested, driving 118 homeowners to ask to be connected to city water. Meanwhile, 80 homes are in the process of being connected, and the property values in the community have dropped 50 percent, according to this report.

The pesticide is widely used to control termites and other pests at the residences, is used at the nearby golf course and was stored and mixed at a pest control business at U.S. 17-92 and Orange Camp Road. To be on the safe side, residents have been encouraged to have wells tested regularly, garden in above-ground containers, use masks for mowing lawns that have sandy spots, and limit children playing in the yards.

Jet Fuel and Perchlorate Spoil Groundwater in Two Western Localities

By: Duane Craig

More news about the contamination being left behind by the country’s military-industrial complex comes from two locations: Albuquerque, N.M., and Barstow, Calif., according to reports here and here.

New Mexico’s environmental officials characterized Kirtland AFB’s efforts at determining the extent of groundwater contamination below Albuquerque’s southeast quadrant as inadequate, and the state’s environment department is calling for more monitoring wells to see just how much risk is posed to the city’s drinking water. Underground aircraft fuel lines had leaked for decades when the leaks were discovered in 1999, and an estimated 8 million gallons contributed to a plume of contamination that may now threaten city wells. The Air Force didn’t mention the problem until 2007, according to the report cited above in the Air Force Times.

A former pyrotechnic company in Barstow illegally dumped perchlorate that contributed to a 1.25-mile plume of contamination in the area’s groundwater, forcing the closure of one of the local water supplier’s wells. Recent drilling and testing shows perchlorate in concentrations up to 13,000 parts per billion. California says that 6 parts per billion is the maximum amount of the chemical allowed in drinking water. Cleanup activities are expected to begin soon.

Asheville's Superfund Site Seeks Millions From PRPs

By: Duane Craig

The Environmental Protection Agency has billed two potentially responsible parties $6.5 million to cover the agency's costs to date in remediating the CTS of Asheville National Priorities Superfund site at 235 Mills Gap Road in Asheville N.C., according to an article in the Citizen-Times.

The site is widely contaminated with solvents such as trichloroethylene, or TCE, and residents have linked the contamination to cases of cancer in children. The EPA is currently monitoring 105 private water wells in the area, and in the past the agency paid to connect residents to municipal water when a spring and five private water wells turned out to be contaminated with not only TCE but also petroleum compounds, according to the EPA's report on the site.

Ashville Superfund site still contaminated with trichloroethylene

Residents are tired of the time it has taken to get cleanup actions started, and they welcomed the news of the EPA's latest efforts to get the two companies involved to pay up. Contamination is expected to lie below a 79,000-square-foot deteriorating building that is used by gangs, drug dealers and their users. The EPA has also been conducting vapor intrusion assessments and has been pressuring the responsible parties to plan and implement remediation tactics. A soil vapor extraction operation has so far removed 6,000 pounds of solvents from soils just above the water table.

Uranium and Radon Contamination Not Always Linked to Mining

By: Duane Craig

Photo from:
BEAU CABELL/THE TELEGRAPH

There doesn't have to be uranium mining nearby to cause contamination of water supplies because uranium occurs naturally in many parts of the country. Take Georgia for example.
In Macon, some homeowners were recently surprised to find uranium at 21 times the safe limit in their well water and radon in their indoor air. One woman claimed she was drinking nearly a gallon of the water every day, and others who had their hair tested for uranium found it contained high levels of the radioactive material, according to this report in Macon.com.

There is a layer of granite that runs through several southeastern states. Water that lies below that layer can be high in uranium, and radon is more prevalent above ground in those places also. This creates double jeopardy for those living above the granite. Radon inside buildings is thought to contribute to incidents of lung cancer as people bathe and wash clothes in water containing uranium. In other cases, the radon may seep into buildings through the foundations as it naturally rises through the soil. One in 15 radon air tests in Georgia will have unacceptable limits of the gas.

Twenty-two water tests in the Macon area had uranium present in excess of 30 parts per billion, the recognized safe limit, but a few tests had concentrations as high as 300 and 400 parts per billion. Water testing is on the increase in Macon.

Passing the Roadway Salt

By: Duane Craig

What happens to all the salt that's spread on roadways in northern climes to melt ice? Well, one place it appears to be ending up is in drinking water wells. Not only that, but the places where the salt is stored are also on the radar as potential groundwater contaminators, according to a report in the Watertown Daily Times.com.

Road salt contaminating groundwater

In Orleans, New York, residents and property owners are still waiting for the town's department of public works to coordinate water well testing with the state's department of transportation and it looks like the process of identifying the contaminated wells will be delayed another month. But, time probably won't make much difference at this point. According to one observer, contamination from the salt storage barn along I-81 first came to light in 2002 but salt has been used on roads for more than 60 years.

In this case wells within a one mile radius of the salt barn will be tested. From Collins Landing to Seaway Avenue and beyond even perhaps to Grass Point State Park and Fishers Landing, the legacy of road maintenance extends well beyond the roads.

It was New York's neighbor to the east, New Hampshire, that first adopted a "general policy" of using salt on roadways. That year, the winter of 1941-42, about 5,000 tons of salt were used across the United States on wintry roads. However, as the highway system expanded, so did salt use until in 1970, 10 million tons were being used each winter, according to this paper.

Montana Basin Eyes Contamination Sources

By: Duane Craig

The Flathead Basin in Montana is a complex and sensitive watershed that may be seeing threats from septic systems, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.

Phase 1 assessment shows water contamination

Seventeen wells in the Evergreen area tested positive for VOCs and also had traces of chloroform, arsenic and uranium, according to a report in Hungry Horse News.com. As Phase I of an assessment of threats to the basin from increased human populations, the initial study by the University of Montana's Flathead Biological Station also found acetaminophen, sunscreen, bug spray and caffeine in the tested wells.

The wells the samples came from are relatively shallow and therefore are more prone to contamination from surface sources, noted the Flathead City-County Health Department and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in reinforcing the idea that the county's water is safe for drinking.

There will be a Phase II study done to look at similar pollution characteristics with greater scrutiny. Lower levels of contaminants will be detectable because of the lab used for the specimen analysis. The underground water's connection to the river is particularly mysterious so the studies are expected to help reveal some of those nuances.

Marine Corps Removes Contested Contamination Pamphlet

By: Duane Craig

USMC pulls controversial water contamination booklet

According to an ENCToday.com story, The United States Marine Corps has taken down a document on its website that was contradictory to the real contamination that affected its water system over many years.
Its action however only comes after calls for its removal by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and three North Carolina legislators, and then only after months of delay. Now, the corps says the document is only down temporarily while it is updated and revised so that it will "provide decision makers and the public with accurate and sufficient information about Camp Lejeune so that decisions that are made are informed by the science."
This story goes back a long ways and you can pick up background on it here, here, here and here. This latest news revolves around a 33-page pamphlet that went to every congress person and was then placed on the Marine's web page dedicated to the Camp Lejeune water system. The pamphlet said their were no conclusive results about the chemicals in the Camp's water and that further study wouldn't do any better. This was stated despite the fact that benzene contamination was discovered.
Some people are disappointed enough to request the corps to send mailings to all the people in the camp's water registry alerting them to the erroneous information since many of them may not be aware they were misinformed.

CT Well Contamination Woes

October 10, 2010 - A resurgence of a long-standing neighborhood contamination problem has forced several Harwinton Avenue residents to abandon their wells for drinking water, and neighbors are calling for a water line as a long-term solution.

Wells at nine homes tested positive for contaminants including lead, arsenic, nickel and cadmium after the Department of Environmental Protection sampled them earlier this year. Dismayed at the prospect of a future of state-supplied bottled water and water filters, residents attended a meeting with the mayor and representatives of the DEP and the Torrington Area Health District late last month.

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