Previous Story
PCB CONTAMINATION Samples shipped to the U.S. for analysis
|
Posted on May 17 2000
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Division of Environmental Quality started shipping to the United States over 450 samples of soil, water and food grown in Tanapag for laboratory analysis in connection with the comprehensive environmental analysis of the village for polychlorinated biphenyl contamination.
A laboratory in the U.S. mainland will analyze PCB concentrations in sediment, drainage areas, coastal shoreline, stream outlets and food items like root crops, land crabs, chicken eggs, seaweed and a limited number of fish. Samples of taro will be sent to University of Guam for laboratory analysis since these will not be allowed entry into the mainland.
While PCBs are the primary focus of the data gathering conducted by the federal agency, a dumpsite which had been identified to contain military waste and old military above-ground fuel tanks was also looked into to make sure that this will not affect the public’s health.
The environmental survey was carried out as a result of concerns raised by Tanapag residents in a public meeting last October 1999 regarding the cleanup activities conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers.
EPA and DEQ also surveyed the village to locate areas which may need additional cleanup by the Army Corps and provide information about the safety of consuming certain crops grown in and around the village.
Some of the data obtained will be used to determine if the site should be added in the National Priorities List in the Superfund Program covering the most serious hazardous waste sites in the United States.
PCB contamination in the village began when the U.S. military shipped to the island ceramic PCB capacitors in the 1960s which were originally purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense and used on Kwajalein Atoll as part of the Nike Zeus missile radar system.
DEQ, however, was only notified about the presence of the electrical capacitors in 1988.
These capacitors were later on used in the village as boundary markers, road blocks for driveways, windbreaks for barbecue sites and headstones. The inner phenolic linings of some capacitors were used as rooftop decorations. (Lindablue F. Romero)
