Seal Beach City Manager David Carmany released a report Thursday from Anthony F. Martínez, senior engineering geologist for Orange County Environmental Health, on possible contamination issues at Chevron Station at 4000 Lampson Ave., which goes by the name College Park Mobil.
According to Carmany, site information, reports and other correspondence can be viewed on GeoTracker, at https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report.asp?global_id=T0605924193 .
Carmany reports:
"In a nutshell, the site has contamination in groundwater that gets deeper as it moves off-site. We have been working with the station owner (not Mobil or Valero or Chevron) to assess the extent of the contamination.
"This is one of our more critical sites due to the vertical migration of the contamination and it proximity to two production wells within ½ mile.
"The responsible party for this site is an independent station owner who is dependant on state reimbursement money to conduct assessment and cleanup activities at this site.
"This money is disbursed under a state program that suspended reimbursements last December. As a result, progress at this site slowed considerably during 2009.
" We are currently expecting work that was approved in November 2008 and partially conducted to be completed during the first quarter of 2010."
Martinez reports:
"I have reviewed the file for the site at 4000 Lampson. There does not appear to be an immediate danger to the residents, however, further investigation has been directed by the Health Care Agency. Based on historical groundwater monitoring data, there is not much benzene contamination associated with this site, and the MTBE and TBA contamination does not pose a significant threat from vapor intrusion. If a problem is found, you and the residents will be notified immediately.
"The responsible party for this case is an independent station owner, not a major oil company. As such, he and his company has come to depend on a State Water Resources Control Board reimbursement program to pay for assessment and cleanup costs. In November 2008, the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund (USTCF) stopped making reimbursements to claimants, including this one. As a result, progress completing the pending phase of assessment and remediation slowed. On November 23, 2009 the OCLOP issued a warning letter to the responsible party proceed with the approved work by the end of December or a Notice of Violation would be issued (https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/regulators/deliverable_documents/6913633048/112309IRAR%2Epdf<https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/regulators/deliverable_documents/6913633048/112309IRAR.pdf>).
"In response, the responsible party confirmed that it will resume quarterly groundwater monitoring this month, and will proceed with the on-site remediation and off-site assessment during the first quarter of 2010 (https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/esi/uploads/geo_report/2321053922/T0605924193.PDF).
"Regarding your inquiry about the recently installed Lampson well, the contaminants of greatest concern at this site are MTBE and TBA. These chemicals were added to gasoline in the 1990's to reduce smog, but they were removed from gasoline in 2003 because they were causing significant groundwater contamination problems. MTBE and TBA are very mobile in groundwater, and have been found at this site as deep as 63 feet below ground surface in monitoring wells in Lampson Avenue and we are working with the responsible party to start remediation and complete the site assessment as soon as possible.
"Remediation of the contaminant plume on-site will begin soon. Remediation of the plume off-site will take more time as the extent of the plume has yet to be fully assessed. Off-site assessment and remediation will require cooperation from the golf course to allow access to the gas station owner and his consultants. However, since this site is over 2,500 feet from the supply well, it is unlikely that contamination from this site would impact the well, however, assuming the potential worst-case scenario, we are proceeding with the assessment and remediation without further delay, reimbursement issues notwithstanding."
Here is the general link to this site on GeoTracker, where you can view other documents and information about this site. https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report.asp?global_id=T0605924193
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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