Local News in Brief : Countywide : County OKs Pact for Contaminant Cleanups
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $1-million contract with the state giving the county Health Care Agency the authority, and use of state and federal funds, to clean up sites contaminated by leaking underground gasoline or chemical storage tanks.
The contract is part of a pilot program involving 10 California counties. The 15-month program will shift responsibility for the cleanups from the state Water Resources Control Board to local authorities. If successful, the program would be expanded statewide.
Orange County, according to the Health Care Agency, has 350 known sites where soil, ground water or both have been contaminated by underground storage tanks leaking gasoline or solvents. The largest site in the county was discovered last month under a Thrifty gas station in Fountain Valley.
Robert Merryman, director of environmental health for the agency, has said cleanups have been slow because the state’s regional water quality control boards are not adequately staffed for the volume of work.
Under the contract approved Tuesday, the county will hire 15 cleanup specialists. The contract goes into effect April 1.
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