State environmental officials are continuing to search for the source of a second hazardous contamination "hot spot" in ground water south of Chehalis.
Two weeks ago, the state Department of Ecology identified a local business as a potentially liable party for one ground water contamination problem, but it has not found a plausible theory for the second adjacent spill.
Ecology scientists discovered the second site - "an extremely high concentration" of a hazardous solvent last year, according to an Ecology report released last month. The second perchloro-ethylene "hot spot" sits between Hamilton Road and Interstate 5.
ECOLOGY FOUND the trouble spot while conducting soil-boring tests about 20 feet below the soil. Short wooden stakes with blue and yellow ribbons mark the drilling across the road from High Reach Inc., 281 Hamilton Road.
"One of the buggers about this is we don't have an obvious industrial user in this case," said Marv Coleman, Ecology inspector, during a tour of the area Tuesday. "There's all kinds of theories, of course, but we haven't gotten any information that supports it."
Ecology identified S.C. Breen Construction as a potentially liable party for the first PCE contamination site. One weekend in the early 1980s, barrels of unmarketable chemicals "disappeared" from Breen's property at the same time as someone dug a pit and covered, it, Ecology said.
Health officials learned of the first contamination problem from tests for a new business well drilled in 1993. That spawned testing, drilling and a program to supply affected homes and businesses with bottled water.
PCE CAN CAUSE dizziness, nausea, headaches and damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver. Federal officials consider it a probable cancer-causing agent in humans, based on laboratory tests.
The contamination area is now known to extend from Palm Harbor Homes, 261 Hamilton Road, north to the intersection with Labree Road and west past Veenhouwer Dairy, 228 Labree Road.
Ecology officials concede they don't know exactly how far the contamination plume extends.
Ecology's round, yellow well casings dot area businesses and farmer' fields, protruding from the ground.
ECOLOGY, STATE Department of Health and Lewis County Health Division officials have discovered PCE contamination in seven of about 20 wells tested, said Ellen Dodds, county sanitarian.
Coleman said the wells extend down just about 45 feet into a shallow aquifer, or ground water source. No contamination has been found in the deeper aquifer, which extends to 200 feet below ground.
PCE is a "sinker" chemical, heavier than water, Coleman said.
Ground water in the area tends to flow northwest, although well pumping patterns affect this.
Across the street from the first PCE site, near the intersection of Hamilton and Labree roads, the state discovered the highest levels of PCE ever found in a resident's well water. Between 1994 and 1998, contaminants tested at between 2,165 and 3,740 parts PCE per billion parts water.
The federal drinking water standard is 5 parts per billion.
Ecology has since supplied Larry and Kathy Thurman and their four children with a water treatment system. Kathy Thurman said the family uses the water for showers and household needs, but chinks bottled water.
THE STATE also found the more dangerous vinyl chloride, a chemical associated with a rare liver cancer, at the Breen site. Vinyl chloride is a "daughter" product of PCE, produced as the first chemical reacts with elements in the soil.
Officials said no tests have discovered vinyl chloride in area residents' ground water.
Agency workers continue sampling wells in the area, on Tuesday expanding the scope to surrounding properties.
"The entire limits (of contamination) have not been exactly defined at this point," Coleman said.
Ecology continues to work on a cleanup solution and source control for areas of high PCE concentrations.
BREEN CONSTRUCTION has until Feb. 20 to respond to Ecology's notice, identifying the company as liable for the spill, officials said. The firm could be required to repay Ecology its $200,000 costs to investigate the spills.
Coleman said Breen Construction and other businesses and residents have been cooperative with Ecology's cleanup investigation efforts allowing access to properties without cow orders.
John Henderer covers count y government and environmental issues for The Chronicle. He can be reached by e-mail at jhenderer@chronline.com or by calling 807-8239.
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