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5.2.02 M.U.D., Army Corps dispute safety worries No matter what federal and local officials say, Saunders County officials argue that the health of Omaha-area residents would be jeopardized by a plan to obtain drinking water from an aquifer near a Superfund site. The Metropolitan Utilities District is proposing to build a $295 million treatment plant and well field a couple of miles from the Mead Superfund site, where groundwater is extensively contaminated by residue from a former munitions plant. "They're gambling with your health and safety," said Grant Porter, deputy county attorney for Saunders County. "They're gambling with your money." MUD, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others don't see it that way. They say the contaminated water would have to change direction and travel uphill to reach MUD's well field. Saunders County has launched an all-fronts assault on MUD's plan to build a plant that could pump up to 104 million gallons of water a day from the Platte River aquifer. The county contends that the loss of groundwater would damage the area's economy, reduce property-tax revenue and jeopardize water resources. Wednesday, Porter asked the MUD board at its monthly meeting to look elsewhere. The Superfund site formerly housed the Nebraska Ordnance Plant and three Atlas missile silos. Operations ended in the 1960s, and in 1990 it was placed on the Superfund list. RDX, an explosives residue, and TCE, a degreaser, remain the primary contaminants of concern. TCE, which is the contaminant closest to MUD's well field, can cause liver and kidney damage and can impair the immune system. RDX may cause cancer. Most of the contaminated soil has been incinerated, and the cleanup of water began in February. The cleanup is expected to take about 100 and to cost about $120 million, said Tom Graff, project manager for the Corps of Engineers. A faster cleanup of the extensive contamination could deplete the aquifer. The question of whether contamination from the Superfund site could reach MUD's proposed well field has been the subject of several studies, some dating to 1993. Saunders County's own 1995 study found that contaminants from the Mead site would not be a problem. That's MUD's position. Tom Wurtz, MUD general manager, said the contamination "will have absolutely no impact." "It's being raised now," he said, "as a last-ditch attempt to incite the public." A study commissioned by the Corps of Engineers and whose results were released last month indicated that under extreme conditions, the contaminated water "could also interact" with MUD's well field, but MUD's water was "not likely to be contaminated." The study was done by Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, a Kansas City, Mo., firm. MUD paid the $700,000 cost. The Corps of Engineers is in its last round of public comment and expects to make a decision on a permit this Fall. Graff, who has been working at the Superfund site since 1997, said he is not concerned about cross-contamination. "From our analysis, we don't show that MUD is at risk." Likewise, John Miyoshi, general manager for the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, said he doesn't think "there is any chance at all" that MUD's well field would be contaminated. Miyoshi's territory includes the Saunders County well field and Superfund site. Porter is unflagging in his opposition. "We're doing Omaha a favor here," he said. "We're trying to do them right." |
Click here for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers statement | |||