EPA ORDERS TREATMENT PLANT CONSTRUCTION.

Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer

The federal Environmental Protection Agency already has approved design plans for a groundwater treatment plant in Glendale, but Wednesday the agency issued an order to make sure the facility actually gets built.

The order, directed at Lockheed Martin, ITT and 60 other ``responsible parties'' associated with 38 area businesses, is part of the EPA's efforts to coordinate cleanup of the San Fernando Valley Superfund site.

Maria Rongone, assistant regional counsel for the EPA, said the agency issued the order because the companies have not been making progress in getting started with the pre-construction phase of the project.

``We're saying, OK, now get to work,'' Rongone explained. ``We are unilaterally ordering them to start, there's no give and take.''

The companies have delayed making a construction deal with the EPA because they are still haggling with one another about how much each company should pay for the construction of the plant.

``They haven't resolved their liability to one another, but that's not a legal basis to refuse to negotiate with the government,'' Rongone said.

The EPA approved the design of the plant Nov. 11. The agency decided to issue the latest order because no agreement has been reached yet with the responsible businesses to build the facility.

``It's a follow-up to our dispute with the other parties,'' said Maureen Curow, a spokeswoman for Lockheed Martin. ``It's basically forcing the parties to work together.''

The San Fernando Valley Superfund sites were placed in the federal Superfund National Priorities list in 1986 because the groundwater is contaminated by volatile organic compounds.