New Times map based on Arizona Department of Environ mental Quality data Threat from p 14 rethink its reliance on surface water and consider tapping urban groundwater. “Cities are going to want their ground- water wells in operating condition, ready to step in,” he said, should the Colorado River drought worsen. And they will want those wells to be clean. Furthermore, groundwater contamina- tion could signal a public health risk, even if no one is drinking it. Contaminants like TCE and PCE typically work their way down to aquifers through hundreds of feet of soil layers, Dulaney said. If the chemicals are trapped in the soil, he said, they could “volatilize” — become vapor and disperse into the air. “The vapor could work its way back up to the surface,” he said. “It could work its way into basements.” Shirley agreed: “If you have these solvent contaminants in the soil, and there are workers and residences nearby, that could be a pathway of potential exposure,” he said. Such workers and residents might be breathing in the chemicals. But it’s too early to say whether the soil in the area has also become significantly contaminated, officials said. Currently, the state is conducting a more extensive inves- tigation of the site to find out. ADEQ spokesperson Caroline Oppelman emphasized that, as of right now, “data from the preliminary investiga- tion and ongoing remedial investigation show that site groundwater and soil do not pose an imminent risk to public health.” Another important question that investigators hope to answer in the coming months: Who is responsible for the pollution? It’s fairly certain that the contaminants are a byproduct of industrial waste in the area, according to Trujillo. The area of underground contamination that Arizona Department of Environ- mental Quality recently discovered. Companies including Motorola, Reynolds Metals (now owned by Alcoa Inc.), and the American Linen Supply Company (Alsco) have all paid out millions in settlements and cleanup efforts for pollution in Phoenix over the years. Both TCE and PCE are frequently used as solvents at dry cleaning businesses and at vehicle repair shops, for removing grease and clothing stains. Sometimes, these businesses dump the chemicals or the toxins leak from the plants into the soil. These chemicals are hazardous for workers who come into contact with them on the job. Commercial drycleaning workers’ health has suffered as a result, with maladies ranging from kidney damage to memory impairment. Once the secondary investigation is complete, ADEQ will begin the cleanup. It will likely use a “pump-and-treat” strategy, officials said, which sucks up groundwater, removes the contaminants, and returns it to the ground. In some cases, this can take decades. Environmental activists say they will be watching closely. For years, critics have complained that ADEQ has let other contamination sites in Phoenix languish. Shirley said he would like to see further action on the West Van Buren contamina- tion site, a toxic groundwater plume that stretches across southwest Phoenix. For years, action on the site has stalled while ADEQ awaits a decision from the federal Environmental Protection Agency on whether the site will be put under federal jurisdiction. “This is the largest site in the state,” Shirley said, “and they have failed to spend the time addressing it.” >> p 18 17 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MARCH 3RD– MARCH 9TH, 2022
