EPA asks Grant County to help start well sampling program

No commitment given by county

EPHRATA - Officials with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked Grant County commissioners to help start a new well sampling program within an area inside a proposed Superfund cleanup site near Moses Lake.

Although the federal government would pay for the program that would sample wells for unacceptable concentrations of the solvent TCE in the Cascade Valley, the county appeared wary of committing to help with the program.

A main concern mentioned was possible lawsuits from landowners because of possibly decreasing property values, said Grant County Commissioner Richard Stevens.

"We're still open to potential liability in cooperating with you because of the contamination the federal government created," said Derek Pohle, Grant County's public works director and county engineer.

Ted Yackulic, EPA's regional counsel, said he wished the federal agency could accommodate the county's concerns, but the EPA's authority is limited. He also said congressional acts prevent the government from honoring future debt.

It wasn't known exactly how many wells are within the proposed area, but EPA Program Manager Dennis Faulk estimated there are between 500 to 700 wells. He added it's difficult to tell what types of water systems exist in the area.

Faulk said he was most concerned about water traveling through the Cascade Valley because most of the water is drawn from basaltic aquifers that could have fissures in them.

"We're really looking at you guys to help us on the new home construction," Faulk said.

Pohle said he didn't see the situation as just limited to new wells and pointed out instances of homes being remodeled.

"There's a lot of unanswered questions," Pohle said.

Faulk said the EPA knows enough to take action.

He said the number one concern is that no one's drinking bad water, but added it would be a massive effort to obtain all of the well data.

"The monitoring program is really a layer of protection we put on top of the mediation we plan to do," Faulk said in part.

The groundwater and soil contamination was caused by TCE reaching the ground near the former Larson Air Force Base. TCE was being used to strip paint from airplanes, wash airplane parts and clean missile parts.

The EPA opened up a time for public comment this year on a $31 million proposal to clean up the area.

Faulk said Tuesday he hopes to have a pumping system in place in two years to start pumping water from two underground plumes. The goal is to have the area return to improved levels below drinking water standard of five parts per billion, he said.

The pumping would take between 10 to 15 years and entail water being extracted and run through a treatment system.

No one has reported becoming ill from the TCE in Grant County. The cleanup is being proposed because over the long term, people could experience kidney or liver problems or cancer, Faulk said.