CLEANUP PACE PICKING UP YET FOR SOME, IT'S NOT MOVING QUICKLY ENOUGH.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer SAUGUS - The pace of work on the former Bermite munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. factory has picked up considerably in the past several weeks, with investigators concentrating on several hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. of contamination. Whittaker Corp., which operated the explosives factory until 1987, is finishing the work left undone after the current owner of the hilly land in the center of Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, dropped its plans to build 2,911 homes. ``Because of Whittaker's commitment, things are coming together,'' said Sara Amir of the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. ``We're very optimistic because the last few weeks have been very encouraging.'' This week, engineers will begin drilling several wells near a suspected hot spot where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered groundwater that contained 58,000 parts per billion of perchlorate perchlorate: see chlorate. , a rocket fuel propellant pro·pel·lant also pro·pel·lent n. 1. Something, such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel, that propels or provides thrust. 2. that has been shown to be dangerous in concentrations as low as 1 part per billion, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and . ``We didn't want the bureaucracy to slow down this work, which is really crucial,'' said DTSC DTSC Department of Toxic Substances Control DTSC DARCOM Technical Steering Committee Project Manager Ken Baez. The additional wells will allow investigators to measure the size and scope of the pollution, as well as help determine the best way to clean it up, Baez said. Engineers have approved a similar plan for another hot spot, this one on the other side of the 996-acre property, Baez said. A second round of testing by the Army Corps has confirmed its earlier conclusion that the plume of perchlorate is moving northwest toward Valencia from the factory off Soledad Canyon Road near the Santa Clarita Metrolink Station, Baez said. In addition, work began this past week on a pilot program designed to find the best way to rid the defunct factory's soil of perchlorate, which state officials believe has leeched into the ground and contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. Santa Clarita's backup supply of drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. . Five wells have been shut down because of high perchlorate levels. If successful, a similar pilot program could be tested on another, much larger hot spot, Baez said. Next month, engineers expect to complete the investigation of what is thought to be the most polluted section of the property, a crucial step before clean up actually begins, Baez said. The next section of the property should be mapped and characterized in three months, Baez said. City leaders and residents keeping tabs on the cleanup who have repeatedly complained that the DTSC places too much emphasis on investigation and not enough on the actual cleanup should be pleased, according to Baez and Amir. ``You're seeing the results of that work now,'' Baez said. However, Santa Clarita Planning Director Jeff Lambert has called on the DTSC to shelve shelve v. shelved, shelv·ing, shelves v.tr. 1. To place or arrange on a shelf. 2. the plans for the various pilot programs and concentrate on large-scale cleanup efforts. ``We're glad that something is happening, but we'd like to see progress happening faster,'' Lambert said. Amir also lauded Whittaker's commitment to the cleanup, which the Simi Valley firm took on reluctantly after current owner Remediation Financial Inc. bowed out of the effort, out of cash and frustrated with city officials. ``Whittaker is working very hard and meeting all the deadlines,'' Amir said. City officials, including Lambert and Kellar, were openly skeptical that Whittaker would fully fund or willingly participate in the cleanup. According to the Santa Clarita City Council, the city's best chance of quickly cleaning up Bermite and the city's water supply was Cherokee Investment Partners, a North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. firm interested in building a mix of homes and commercial developments on the land. However, Cherokee's bid for the land has stalled because of the $65 million worth of liens on the property. The company has been unable to come to terms with all of the lien holders, Cherokee officials said. Heather MacDonald, (661) 257-5257 heather.macdonald(at)dailynews.com |
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