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CUC seeks help to prevent groundwater contamination
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Posted on Apr 29 2002
The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation said local and federal agencies should come out with a remediation plan to prevent the spread of groundwater contamination, as it disclosed that it had shut off several wells in the past.
CUC Executive Director Bernard P. Villagomez said this in a letter to Public Health Medical Director Richard Brostrom, who had earlier asked the Division of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further conduct sampling tests on Saipan’s groundwater.
“[The] CUC has several wells that were shut down due to detection of above maximum contamination levels of organic and semi-organic compounds,” Villagomez said.
The KV1 well was drilled in 1992, but it was never brought on line due to jet fuel contamination, the CUC said.
“Additionally, KV18 and KV19 were shut down in 1999 due to detection of trichloroethylene,” Villagomez said.
The DEQ earlier disclosed that, based on an EPA study, several water wells in at least four villages on Saipan – San Antonio, As Lito, Lower Base and Puerto Rico – have been drawing water from aquifers contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exceeding the maximum contaminant levels (MCL) allowed for human consumption.
According to the DEQ, sampling tests from several wells located in Tanapag and Marpi, aside from those in Lower Base and Puerto Rico, showed that they contain high levels of thallium, a metal which may be fatal to humans when ingested.
Eleven wells were found to be contaminated with VOCs above the respective MCL. These include trichloroethylene, dichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene, which may cause liver problems. All of these, and also vinyl chloride, may also increase the risk of cancer among humans when exposed to them.
An additional 23 of the 160 wells had at least one VOC detected, but at levels below the MCL, according to the report.
“The CUC supports the Department of Public Health’s renewed interest in the safe drinking water system of the CNMI. Moreover, CUC agrees that the DEQ, U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers should take the lead in determining the extent of groundwater contamination,” Villagomez said.
