Efforts to clean up perchlorate that leached into Morgan Hill's groundwater from a road flares factory over a 40-year period have so far satisfied the state agency that regulates water quality.
But Morgan Hill officials say, as they have for a while, that the Olin Corporation which is responsible for the contamination and the ongoing cleanup efforts, could work faster to remove the chemical from the city's drinking water supply.
"(Olin) has gone above and beyond the call of duty" in reducing perchlorate levels in the water the company contaminated, said Hector Hernandez, water resources control engineer for the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
At the board's Thursday meeting, it will review the most recent staff report on the contamination issue. That report says Olin is in compliance with directives to remove perchlorate from the groundwater in phases, and provide replacement drinking water for the affected city customers and private well owners.
Perchlorate is a chemical used in the manufacture of rocket fuel, fireworks and signal flares and can interfere with the natural function of the thyroid gland if consumed by humans.
Olin ran a factory that produced road flares at 425 Tennant Ave., from 1956 to 1995, according to the staff report. The factory created a 10-mile long "plume" of groundwater that contained perchlorate concentrations well above maximum accepted levels. Public and private wells used for drinking water in Morgan Hill and San Martin were heavily contaminated.
Many of those wells are still contaminated, and Hernandez said the cleanup process will last "as long as it takes." He said Olin is required to eliminate perchlorate until its concentration in the contaminated area is at background, or non-detectable, levels. Some areas of the affected groundwater plume have reached quadruple the maximum accepted perchlorate levels.
Jim Ashcraft, Morgan Hill Public Works Director, said the city has repeatedly complained about the pace of cleanup to Olin and the RWQCB.
"I think the board and Olin could do more, and faster," to remove perchlorate from the city's water supply, Ashcraft said.
He said the city still has to treat water from its contaminated well on Tennant Avenue before it can be distributed to Morgan Hill's public water customers. He said Olin should be required to help the city pay for that treatment, which is currently funded by the customers who are billed a 10 percent surcharge on their monthly water bills.
No action is expected to be taken, Hernandez said. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, at 895 Aerovista Place, Suite 101, San Luis Obispo.
Michael Moore Michael Moore covers county and law enforcement issues for the Morgan Hill Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106, ext. 202, or mmoore@morganhilltimes.com.
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