STUDY PROPOSED IN POLLUTION CASE.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer MOORPARK - The performance of a study to determine presence of DDT DDT or 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1,-trichloroethane, chlorinated hydrocarbon compound used as an insecticide. First introduced during the 1940s, it killed insects that spread disease and feed on crops. in the Arroyo Simi is being proposed as possible compensation for habitual pollution violations by the Moorpark Wastewater Treatment Plant Wastewater treatment plant also called wastewater treatment works
The proposed study on the once widely used pesticide is being considered by the state Regional Water Quality Control Board, which fined the county $105,313 in May for discharging polluted pol·lute tr.v. pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing, pol·lutes 1. To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter. See Synonyms at contaminate. 2. wastewater from the sewage-treatment plant. Mark Pumford, unit chief for the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Regional Water Quality Control Board, said the two sides will meet this month to discuss the proposal. ``We want to enter in a general discussion with the discharger on other possible studies they can do,'' Pumford said. ``There are a number of possible studies that have no funding currently in the Calleguas Creek and we would like to explore some of those possibilities with them, as well.'' The state fined Ventura County Waterworks waterworks: see water supply. District No. 1 after repeated discharges of polluted water from the plant at 9550 Los Angeles Ave. The plant treats 3 million gallons of raw sewage a day, which it discharges to 31 evaporation ponds. From there, the effluent flows into Arroyo Las Posas and Mugu Lagoon, part of the Calleguas Creek Watershed Management Area. From April 1997 to March 2000, the plant discharged 79.9 million gallons of treated wastewater with pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. above allowable limits into the collection ponds, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the state regulatory board. Further, it discharged 112 million gallons of treated effluent that exceeded limits into the Arroyo Las Posas from September 1997 to March 1999. The fine came after the county began an $8 million upgrade in February that will expand the plant's capacity to 5 million gallons a day. That work is expected to be completed by April 2001. County officials said the state was well aware the plant did not have the capability to meet water quality standards, and was never given a deadline to fix the violations. The state board could have imposed a $1.12 billion fine, allowed under California Water Code, for chronically discharging polluted effluent. The regulatory board determined, however, the discharge into the Arroyo Las Posas had no ``obvious environmental damage.'' Also, the plant stopped discharging into the arroyo in April 1999. The fine was reduced in part because the steep penalty would have delayed the plant's needed upgrades to bring it to compliance with state standards. The county opted to use $78,985 of the fine for a local environmental project, and to deposit the $26,328 balance into the state's cleanup and abatement fund. ``What we have proposed is to look into DDT, a compound that was used in the agricultural industry several years ago,'' said Reddy Pakala, manager of of the water and sanitation services division with the waterworks district No. 1. ``When there was testing done on the surface waters of the Arroyo Simi Flood Control Channel Flood control channels are a series of large, concrete, and empty (except when a flood is actually present) open-air channels that extend a ways below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if and when a flood occurs, the flood will run into the channels, and proceed to be there was detection of DDT. ``What we proposed in our proposal was to perform a study where this DDT is coming from and why it still exists in the waters,'' he said. The widely used pesticide DDT was banned in 1972 after it was blamed for killing animal life, such as the American bald eagle bald eagle Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. . CAPTION(S): Also ran in Simi edition |
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