Update on North Basin Groundwater Cleanup Project
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) hosted a community meeting attended by approximately 60 people for the Orange County North Basin site on Nov. 14 at the Fullerton Public Library.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss site activities; promote meaningful community involvement; share information about the proposed listing of the site on the National Priority List (NPL), EPA’s efforts for a Superfund Alternative Approach to NPL listing, the status of the Remedial Investigation (RI) being conducted by OCWD; learn about the public health assessment activities that will be conducted by CDPH; and hear the community’s concerns related to the site.
Following a 30-minute open house where guests could visit tables staffed by different agencies (EPA, CDPH, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, City of Fullerton, City of Anaheim, and OCWD), EPA representatives welcomed guests and introduced Orange County Water District (OCWD) Director Bruce Whitaker. Director Whitaker thanked community members for attending and stressed the importance of the collaborative local, state and federal effort needed to ensure a successful groundwater cleanup project. OCWD President Denis Bilodeau was also in attendance to represent the District and speak to guests.
The first official presenter of the evening was Caleb Shaffer, EPA Superfund section chief for Region 9. Caleb presented about EPA’s process for cleaning up an NPL/Superfund site, NPL listing and the Superfund Alternative Approach. OCWD Principal Hydrogeologist Dave Mark addressed attendees to provide more details about the ongoing RI and site cleanup activities that are being conducted by the District. Presentations concluded with a representative from CDPH talking about its role in the community, defining a Public Health Assessment and providing information regarding participating in the assessment process. After fielding questions from the community, the meeting concluded with another 30-minute open house where attendees were invited to speak with representatives from the agencies present to ask questions.
To read more about the status of OCWD’s North Basin Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS), please visit https://www.ocwd.comhttps://www.ocwd.com/wp-content/uploads/north-basin-public-meeting-fs.pdf. OCWD will continue its commitment to keep stakeholders informed about this critical groundwater cleanup project. Protecting Orange County’s valuable local water supply is its top priority. To stay informed about Orange County North Basin activities and to read more background about this important issue, please visit https://www.ocwd.com/what-we-do/water-quality/groundwater-cleanup/north-basin/ and www.epa.gov/superfund/orange-county-north-basin.