ARCHIVED REPORTS_RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON DRAFT REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN 2015

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Nestle USA W WON M9 R1F-S )ZETfEJ,,--Iili.1 Good Food,Good Life March 20, 2015 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Fisher, The Regional Water Quality Control Board ("Water Board")forwarded the comments regarding Nestle's draft 2014 Remedial Action Plan ("RAP"), prepared on your behalf by Arcadis, to Nestle for consideration. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your consultant's comments. We have reviewed your concerns, and have revised our plans after consideration of your comments and others raised by the Water Board. Among the revisions we will be implementing will be additional groundwater characterization in the areas identified by Arcadia. With the information derived from that additional characterization work, we will then further evaluate next steps. The comment letter raised three key concerns: 1. that"the proposed additional extraction will not directly affect groundwater conditions or remediation in the southern portion of the plume or at the Fisher's property," 2. that natural attenuation may not be occurring in the southern portion of the plume, and if not, then monitored natural attenuation or MNA is not an appropriate remediation strategy, and 3. that there should be more protection for the groundwater resources south of the Stanislaus River and for the Fishers own property. 1 - Nestle's Efforts to Address Contaminant Concentrations Near the Southern Edge of the Plume: For almost two decades, Nestle has diligently undertaken efforts to reduce contaminant concentrations in groundwater. These efforts have included investigation, remediation and plume containment. Since 1986, Nestle has operated several groundwater treatment systems, implemented numerous pilot projects and experimental remediation projects, identified and closed conduit wells, and replaced impacted wells. Nestle continues to monitor a network of more than 130 wells in the Ripon area, all in an effort to contain and remediate groundwater impacted by contaminants of concern ("COCs") identified by the Water Board. Focusing on recent work Nestle performed in the area of your property, Nestle advanced nine exploratory borings and collected 67 depth-discrete groundwater samples on both sides of the Stanislaus River between 2003 and 2005. Furthermore, Nestle installed 18 monitoring wells in the southern region of the plume. Upon discovery that your well at 7501 Kiernan was impacted by COCs, Nestle immediately provided drinking water and wellhead treatment and has since replaced the impacted well with a new well and treatment system that supplies clean water to the property.