October 13, 2006 - Water quality panel may select perchlorate cleanup czar

Water quality panel may select perchlorate cleanup czar

October 13, 2006

News Article

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County Sun

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board today will consider allowing a retired state water official to determine whether to force three corporations to clean up perchlorate contamination in Rialto.

The action would represent another step in the process to clean up the water contamination that was first discovered in 1997.

"I think they have to take some strong action," said state Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Perchlorate Contamination.

Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of products such as fireworks and rocket fuel and can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland.

The resolution up for consideration would delegate the water board's authority to an independent hearing officer to issue what are known as cleanup and abatement orders that force polluters to clean up contamination they caused.

The three corporations that would face cleanup orders are Black & Decker Corp., Goodrich Corp. and the fireworks company Pyro Spectacular. In 2003, the board issued a similar order against San Bernardino County for perchlorate flowing from its property on Rialto's north side.

The hearing officer would be Walt Pettit, who was the executive director of the state Water Resources Control Board until 2000.

The move to delegate authority to Pettit was the result of allegations made by Emhart Industries, owned by Black & Decker, that the regional board is biased, according to Kurt Berchtold, the board's assistant executive officer.

He said Emhart claimed that because the board's staff, which investigates allegations against the corporations, has been communicating with board members for years on the issue of perchlorate contamination, the board members themselves are compromised.

"They're just using bogus tactics to hinder the process," Paul Van Dyke, Soto's chief of staff, said about Emhart.

Soto said the board has been too passive in its efforts to clean up the contamination. She said she is not thrilled the board is delegating its authority to Pettit, but also said, "I think anything they do is better than what's going on now."

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Water quality panel may select perchlorate cleanup czar


October 13, 2006 News Article Jason Pesick, Staff Writer San Bernardino County Sun The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board today will consider allowing a retired state water official to determine whether to force three corporations to clean up perchlorate contamination in Rialto. The action would represent another step in the process to clean up the water contamination that was first discovered in 1997. "I think they have to take some strong action," said state Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Perchlorate Contamination. Perchlorate is a chemical used in the production of products such as fireworks and rocket fuel and can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. The resolution up for consideration would delegate the water board's authority to an independent hearing officer to issue what are known as cleanup and abatement orders that force polluters to clean up contamination they caused. The three corporations that would face cleanup orders are Black & Decker Corp., Goodrich Corp. and the fireworks company Pyro Spectacular. In 2003, the board issued a similar order against San Bernardino County for perchlorate flowing from its property on Rialto's north side. The hearing officer would be Walt Pettit, who was the executive director of the state Water Resources Control Board until 2000. The move to delegate authority to Pettit was the result of allegations made by Emhart Industries, owned by Black & Decker, that the regional board is biased, according to Kurt Berchtold, the board's assistant executive officer. He said Emhart claimed that because the board's staff, which investigates allegations against the corporations, has been communicating with board members for years on the issue of perchlorate contamination, the board members themselves are compromised. "They're just using bogus tactics to hinder the process," Paul Van Dyke, Soto's chief of staff, said about Emhart. Soto said the board has been too passive in its efforts to clean up the contamination. She said she is not thrilled the board is delegating its authority to Pettit, but also said, "I think anything they do is better than what's going on now."
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