WEAPONRY TOXICS FAR-FLUNG IN WATER.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA - Residents of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. are among 7 million Californians 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. with at least traces of perchlorate perchlorate: see chlorate. , a byproduct by·prod·uct or by-prod·uct n. 1. Something produced in the making of something else. 2. A secondary result; a side effect. Noun 1. of rocket fuel linked to thyroid disorders, according to a report released today. ``That's just the tip of the iceberg tip of the iceberg n. pl. tips of the iceberg A small evident part or aspect of something largely hidden: afraid that these few reported cases of the disease might only be the tip of the iceberg. ,'' Bill Walker, California director for the Environmental Working Group, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., that released the report on its study. ``There are hundreds of untested wells and water systems across the country, and many Americans may be consuming a toxin which is a health threat at very low doses, especially to infants and children.'' The group called for state and federal governments to establish an enforceable standard for limiting perchlorate levels in drinking water. State and local officials discovered a number of years ago that local well water contained perchlorate, and efforts are being made to clean it up and evaluate the health risks. Perchlorate pollution has shut down four municipal wells in Santa Clarita. State officials believe at least part of the contamination stems from decades of federal defense manufacturing and testing at the former Bermite explosives factory. Perchlorate-tainted water has been found in 18 states, including California, Arizona and Nevada. The Environmental Working Group's report says federal officials believe the highly soluble chemical has leached into the water in 39 states - wherever rocket fuel was manufactured or used. State officials have been studying the size and scope of the pollution in the Saugus aquifer for months. Unexploded ordnance waste and more than 275 chemicals have made 996 acres at the center of the city unusable. Would-be developers also have been working to clean up the contamination so the land could be used. Perchlorate can damage the thyroid gland, which controls growth, development and metabolism, according to doctors quoted in the Environmental Working Group report. At high levels of exposure, perchlorate has been linked to cancer. For nearly 50 years, the 996 acres off Soledad Canyon Road were used by defense contractors to build and test dynamite, Sidewinder sidewinder, common name for a rattlesnake, Crotalus cerastes, found in the deserts of the SW United States. This 2-ft (60-cm), pale yellow and pink snake is named for its curious method of locomotion. missiles and small rockets used in World War II, the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. , the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. and the Cold War. ``In the name of national security, the military created a widespread public health threat,'' Walker said. Santa Clarita Valley residents rely on a combination of groundwater from the Saugus aquifer and imported water during drought years. The report calls for military officials and 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 to back a perchlorate standard no higher than 4.3 parts per billion. Officials have taken readings on the Bermite property as high as 17 parts per billion. Attempts at cleanup in Santa Clarita have been further complicated by the lack of a proven method to rid water of perchlorate. Santa Clarita water agency officials, however, say there is a possible solution in an ion-exchange process now being used in the San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. , with approval by the Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
The Castaic Lake Water Agency, the area's water wholesaler, and a local water retailer, the Newhall County Water District, have sued Remediation Financial Inc., the owner of the polluted property, to force an immediate cleanup of the water. About 3,000 homes, several needed roads and a park are planned for the former industrial property after it is cleaned and certified by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. In September, the Santa Clarita City Council is expected to consider the property owner's request to develop each portion of the property as it is cleaned and certified. Remediation Financial Inc. officials have said they will not be able to complete the complicated and costly project unless allowed to start using some of the land before all 996 acres get clearance. The company owes the state Department of Toxic Substances Control about $500,000 for work already completed, and representatives say the company is out of cash. |
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