SITE INFORMATION AND CORRESPONDENCE_FILE 1

Home Browse Search

POINTING OUT — spots where test were conducted around Occidental Chemical in a study of ground water and soils for pollutants is Mel G. Rice, vice president and general manager for Oxy. Oxy Claims There's No Health Hazard Occidental Chemical of Lathrop announced that con- clusions the firm has drawn from a 2,000 page investigation report into groundwater and soil pollutants in and around the plant showed "there is no health hazard resulting from these operations." "The findings of Phase One (the study) indicate there is no health hazard," stated Mel G. Rice, vice president and general manager for Occidental Chemical, at a company called news conference Tuesday morning. Of 42 different pesticides tested for-, only DBCP was found "above the detectable limits of one-tenth of one part per- bilion" in six wells, and only in one case was it above 1 part per- billion (ppb), reported Rice. However. he went on to state that in one of 12 monitoring wells located on or, adjacent to the Lathrop plant property there was a highly concentrated pocket of DP(.P averaging 900 ppb at a depth of approximately 200 feet. The investigation, known as the "Plan of 'Study," cost in excess of $1 million and was developed by a company - sponsored task force. The study, begun in February, was to determine whether Occidental's operations had affected the environment around Lathrop adversely and whether any remedial measures might be necessary. Watching over the study were the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Reglonal Water Quality Control Board and the California State Department of Health Services. Rice stated that the report had been delivered to the Regional Water Quality Control Board on Monday. A spokesman for Water Quality Control stated Tuesday afternoon that the Board could not respond concerning the (Continued On Page A -S)