BERMITE WATER CLEANUP AT ISSUE.

Byline: 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.

CLWA data shows that the well-head treatment plan could actually help contain the pollution and prevent it from spreading and forcing the closure of other wells, Cotton said.

Before any treatment begins, DTSC policies call for a full, site-wide characterization plan to be completed, according to Sara Amir, the chief of the Southern California Cleanup Operations Branch.

State officials are also concerned that unless the source of the pollution is removed at the same time, the toxic chemicals would leech back into the water, making the cleanup longer and more expensive.

CLWA officials hope the new data collected by the agency, combined with the initial results of the Army Corps of Engineers study of the groundwater pollution will change DTSC officials' minds and prompt them to approve the treatment plan, Cotton said. Amir said she would meet soon with officials from the water agency to evaluate the new data and listen to their concerns.

``We are trying to keep an open mind,'' Amir said.

The initial phase of the cleanup, which will be done by the Corps of Engineers, is expected to cost $4.6 million. The ultimate cost is unknown but could be as high as $35 million, according to CLWA officials.

``No one wants to pay for it, but it has to be done,'' Cotton said.

The CLWA sued the owner of the polluted 996-acre site in 2001, hoping to force the company to pay for the water cleanup and reimburse the water agency for the money it has already spent.

City officials also want state officials to accelerate the pace of the cleanup by mopping up four known ``hot spots'' of contamination that officials believe are contributing to the groundwater pollution.

The wells were shut down in 1997 after tests revealed the water contained 25 to 40 parts per billion of perchlorate, which is found in rocket fuel, some explosives and fertilizers.

Shallow groundwater on the site, located in the heart of the city, has been found to contain 300 parts per billion of perchlorate, according to DTSC officials.

The California Department of Health Services now requires wells with more than 4 parts per billion of perchlorate to be shut down, and, so far, tests cannot detect levels lower than that standard, officials said.

Perchlorate damages the thyroid gland and is especially risky for pregnant women, whose fetuses can be affected, studies show. A damaged thyroid can lead to cancer or can affect growth, reproduction and the immune system.