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Hopes lie with soybeans for cleaning toxic Orland water

Posted by: Maven on October 26, 2009 at 6:30 am

From the Oroville Mercury Register:

“For years, Orland residents have been sitting atop a toxic plume of groundwater contaminated by dry-cleaning solvents. After years waiting on a list for cleanup, plans are in the works here to inject the soil with soybean oil to help decrease contamination over the next 20 years.

The plume has been on California Department of Toxic Substances Control list of cleanup sites since 1992, though the contamination occurred earlier. The plume containing tetrachloroethylene (known as PCE), starts on Fifth Street in Orland and extends about 2.5 miles southeast, at a depth of 12 to 127 feet below ground surface, according to the department’s data Web site at: www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public.

The plan is to inject 1,600 gallons of emulsified soybean oil into the plume. The soybean oil will “change the subsurface environment to let bacteria thrive,” without oxygen, said Carol Northrup, chief of public affairs for the Department of Toxic Substances Control. …”

Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register by clicking here.

October 26, 2009 · Filed Under Northern California

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