San Bernardino County must come clean on groundwater pollution

From the San Bernardino Sun, this commentary by Anthony Araiza, general manager of the West Valley Water District in Rialto:

We are unfortunately compelled to call public attention to the inaccurate information about San Bernardino County’s role in contaminating local groundwater provided to you a few days ago by the office of Supervisor Josie Gonzales.

In a point of view (”County is cleaning up perchlorate,” March 26), Supervisor Gonzales stated: “Before the county purchased property in north Rialto for the future expansion of the Mid-Valley Landfill, the county hired an expert to test the land for hazardous materials. Those tests did not find significant contamination in the soil.”

We strongly disagree with these statements. It is time for the County of San Bernardino, and its elected supervisors, to honestly and openly talk about the illegal conduct associated with the county’s Mid-Valley Sanitary Landfill expansion, and the serious harm these activities have inflicted on the citizens of the county, the environment and our precious local drinking water supply.

With all due respect to Supervisor Gonzales, the facts now being disclosed about the Mid-Valley Landfill clearly demonstrate that county officials acted, and continue to act, in complete and utter disregard of applicable state and federal laws.

Based on reports provided by the county, it now appears that county officials knowingly – and with reckless disregard of the law – demolished contaminated bunkers at a state-permitted hazardous waste site, and spread the contaminated waste debris onto adjacent parcels and unknown locations offsite. Much of this hazardous debris was improperly used to construct noise berms on the perimeter of the county’s property. The hazardous chemicals in this debris included lead, arsenic, mercury, asbestos and perchlorate – the chemical currently contaminating groundwater and the region’s drinking water wells.

Read more from the San Bernardino Sun by clicking here.

Comments

Admin

• Log in

Credits

Powered by Vertigo & WordPress
WordPress Themes by Brian Gardner