Please attend and help us cleanup our Park and Neighborhood!
It’s Time for More Action on Chatham
Residents to Request New Strategy for
Cleaning up State Superfund Site
at Tuesday Meeting in Escondido
The meeting will be held, Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 6:30-9:00 pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido.
BACKGROUND
The
Chatham Barrel Yard, located at 2257 Bernardo Avenue in southwest Escondido, is
the largest
site in the region contaminated with toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution. Pollution at Chatham was discovered in the 1980s and it was
deemed so highly contaminated that it was designated a ‘State Superfund’
site. Over 11,000 tons of highly toxic soil was removed from the
site and a groundwater treatment system was put into operation at the site.
However,
during the past several decades, plumes of contamination from the site have
migrated in groundwater over a mile from the site (see map.) Volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) from the site have contaminated local water wells and groundwater.
The plumes
are also discharging pollution into Felicita Creek at levels that violate water
quality plans. The contaminated plumes
are now under most of Felicita Park, existing homes, and farmland In addition, the plumes are migrating to the south in the direction of Lake
Hodges, a drinking water storage area.
This is a
tragic situation that has not been resolved in almost 20 years of remedial
action. In spite of the significant off-yard
contamination problems, no
active cleanup of
the plume has occurred. Local resident Ryan Salazar stated, “We have waited long enough and I would like
to see the Department of Toxic Substances require more action. It is time to do more, before it gets worse.” Residents will be calling for a new strategy
for cleanup.
The meeting
will be held, Tuesday, September 30,
2014, 6:30-9:00 pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N.
Escondido Blvd., Escondido.
Escondido Neighbors United formed this year in response to environmental and
community issues in the Escondido area. Our mission is to advance
protection of communities, protection of natural resources, ensure sustainable
planning and development, secure cleanup of contamination, and support of
environmental justice in the Escondido area. www.escondidoneighbors.org or follow @EscoNeighbors on Twitter.
