September 21, 2006 - Perchlorate Fix Requires Regional Cooperation

Perchlorate Fix Requires Regional Cooperation

September 21, 2006

Op-Ed/SNS/San Bernardino County Sun

With all the news lately about the perchlorate lawsuit between Rialto and the County of San Bernardino, it is important that we not lose track of the big picture.

True, Rialto lost five wells to perchlorate contamination. But according to information from the water suppliers in the region, the city of Colton lost three wells, West Valley Water District lost five and Fontana Water Company lost seven wells to perchlorate.

Perchlorate contamination is a problem for the entire region and we all have to work together on the solution.

In the four years since I created the Inland Valley Perchlorate Task Force to tackle this problem, some progress has been made but it hasn’t been easy. While each of the aforementioned communities or agencies has returned some wells to service with the installation of wellhead treatment systems, the money needed to pay for those systems has not been easy to come by.

About $7 million of the funding has come from two sources: Goodrich, one of the polluters, offered an early “good faith” payment of $4 million back in 2002, and the State Water Resources Control Board, provided $3 million in funds from its clean up and abatement account. That money helped a great deal, but we have much farther to go.

The federal government has also provided some money, and thanks to Senator Feinstein our area may be receiving even more federal dollars in the near future.

But one of the key principles that I have continuously expressed with regard to this issue is that it must be the polluters who pay the cost of cleanup, not the water suppliers or their customers.

In line with that principle, I authored a state law in 2003 that clarified the power of the regional water quality control boards to force polluters to pay for the cleanup cost and provide replacement water.

Additional progress has been made by the County of San Bernardino, which reports that it has spent $7 million to study perchlorate contamination that is coming from land it owns next to the county’s Mid Valley Landfill. The County has also installed a series of wells and a treatment system intended to stop the flow of perchlorate south and threatening more wells.

But despite these signs of progress, not nearly enough has been done. Some of our water suppliers have been forced to raise rates in order to pay for cost of treatment and of pursuing polluters. A recent White Paper developed by the County and the four affected water suppliers indicates that the long term costs of restoring the groundwater could be hundreds of millions of dollars.

It is gratifying to see Supervisor Josie Gonzalez taking leadership on this issue for the county. She is correct when she calls for increased cooperation and less infighting among the water agencies, and she has acknowledged that the county landfill is one source of the problem (dating back to previous occupants).

But we should remember that the perchlorate problem is bigger than any one agency, one which is going to require cooperation and lots of hard work to resolve.

Inland Empire leaders have been told by both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C. that we are more likely to get more federal funding if we – agencies and official alike – are speaking with one voice.

I recently posed a challenge to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nominees to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (which has jurisdiction over our area) to take control of this regional crisis.

Actions speak louder than words, and the regional board has the authority to lift the burden off the backs of the ratepayers and water purveyors.

Nell Soto (D – Pomona) represents the Inland Empire in the State Senate.

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Perchlorate Fix Requires Regional Cooperation


September 21, 2006 Op-Ed/SNS/San Bernardino County Sun With all the news lately about the perchlorate lawsuit between Rialto and the County of San Bernardino, it is important that we not lose track of the big picture. True, Rialto lost five wells to perchlorate contamination. But according to information from the water suppliers in the region, the city of Colton lost three wells, West Valley Water District lost five and Fontana Water Company lost seven wells to perchlorate. Perchlorate contamination is a problem for the entire region and we all have to work together on the solution. In the four years since I created the Inland Valley Perchlorate Task Force to tackle this problem, some progress has been made but it hasn’t been easy. While each of the aforementioned communities or agencies has returned some wells to service with the installation of wellhead treatment systems, the money needed to pay for those systems has not been easy to come by. About $7 million of the funding has come from two sources: Goodrich, one of the polluters, offered an early “good faith” payment of $4 million back in 2002, and the State Water Resources Control Board, provided $3 million in funds from its clean up and abatement account. That money helped a great deal, but we have much farther to go. The federal government has also provided some money, and thanks to Senator Feinstein our area may be receiving even more federal dollars in the near future. But one of the key principles that I have continuously expressed with regard to this issue is that it must be the polluters who pay the cost of cleanup, not the water suppliers or their customers. In line with that principle, I authored a state law in 2003 that clarified the power of the regional water quality control boards to force polluters to pay for the cleanup cost and provide replacement water. Additional progress has been made by the County of San Bernardino, which reports that it has spent $7 million to study perchlorate contamination that is coming from land it owns next to the county’s Mid Valley Landfill. The County has also installed a series of wells and a treatment system intended to stop the flow of perchlorate south and threatening more wells. But despite these signs of progress, not nearly enough has been done. Some of our water suppliers have been forced to raise rates in order to pay for cost of treatment and of pursuing polluters. A recent White Paper developed by the County and the four affected water suppliers indicates that the long term costs of restoring the groundwater could be hundreds of millions of dollars. It is gratifying to see Supervisor Josie Gonzalez taking leadership on this issue for the county. She is correct when she calls for increased cooperation and less infighting among the water agencies, and she has acknowledged that the county landfill is one source of the problem (dating back to previous occupants). But we should remember that the perchlorate problem is bigger than any one agency, one which is going to require cooperation and lots of hard work to resolve. Inland Empire leaders have been told by both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C. that we are more likely to get more federal funding if we – agencies and official alike – are speaking with one voice. I recently posed a challenge to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nominees to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (which has jurisdiction over our area) to take control of this regional crisis. Actions speak louder than words, and the regional board has the authority to lift the burden off the backs of the ratepayers and water purveyors. Nell Soto (D – Pomona) represents the Inland Empire in the State Senate.
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