Forty - five percent of our clean potable water is supplied by five water supply wells; and they are compromised. Very recent sampling efforts have detected "PFAS" contaminating Anderson Park's two water supply wells (#1 and #2.) PFAS - are found in paint, cleansers, fire extinguisher foam, other man-made chemicals and *historic spills. Public Works Director Aaron Bert said in a staff report, "the City doesn't know the source."
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalyl subs) are a group of soluble human-made chemicals that can adversely affect human health and the environment. Higher cholesterol, blood pressure problems during pregnancy. lower birth weights and increased risk of some cancers may occur over an extended period of time.
The sooner the city reaches out to the community to reassure us the better. The estimated cost of mitigation is $25 - $30 million. On February 3, 4:30 PM in City Hall, Council's consultant will explain how to remove and replace these "forever chemicals." You are invited or LIVE stream on Comcast Channel 21.
HISTORY
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| 2006 photo of the district's stormwater treatment pond connected to Evans Creek / Bob Yoder |
Southeast Redmond's industrial district was historically the city "dump site" with abused 50-foot creek buffers and untreated stormwater *spilling into nearby Evans Creek. (It's been somewhat environmentally rehabilitated.) In 2013, a massive debris fire started in the district at All Wood Recycling - located in the infiltration zone where potable water is drawn from the aquifer. It took days and volumes of water with *PFAS-laced fire foam to extinguish it. In my opinion, the industrial site is the source.
Good job with this important issue thanks for caring
ReplyDeleteThank you Bob for closely following this and sharing it with the community. I agree that the firefighting efforts at that site could definitely explain the source of the chemicals. We are definitely living with the unintended consequences of Dupont's infamous "Better living through chemistry" marketing slogan coined in the mid-20th century.
ReplyDeleteA note to the Office of the Mayor that was very much appreciated, especially for the history report:
ReplyDeleteDirector Bert and Chief Sheppard:
We tend to dwell on the source of PFAS as originating from fire foam used on the 2013, 4-story AWR debris fire. However, there are other potential sources:
Concrete -- (Note below) Study the AWR site and you'll probably see large blocks of concrete dumped in a large mound close to Evans Creek. Thr concrete is located in the northeast portion of the AWR site. You may be able to see it from the Evans Trail.
20-years ago I discovered rusty oil trucks backed on top of a 50-foot, denuded buffer dripping substance only ~6 feet from Evans Creek. Their 1 stormwater detention pond was severely abused, spilling oil-sheened water only ~40 feet into the Evans. I took a picture of it in 2006 which you should have. I reported my findings to Carl McCarty, the now retired Code Enforcement Officer. He soon called in 5 agencies and fines were issues. Carl filed a report; suggest you check it out.
Retired Fire Captain John Stockman wasn't present during the debris fire but he "remembers foam was used." Fire Battalion Chief Tom Norton was on-site; Chief Sheppard may know him. Jon Spangler, city Natural Resource manager may be the best source of information. In 2013, he told me foam was used and hundreds of fish were floating dead in the water. He may be retired.
Note: PFAS in concrete, Google search info:
Yes, concrete can contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), primarily as a result of environmental contamination rather than being a component of the original, raw material. The porous structure of concrete acts as a reservoir for PFAS, especially in areas where firefighting foams (AFFF) were used, such as airports, military bases, and fire training sites.
Dear Bob,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to share your comments and for following up after the Council meeting. We understand that the public comment sign-up period had closed and appreciate you submitting your remarks in writing.
Your message regarding PFAS and the City’s wellheads has been received and will be shared with the appropriate City staff and leadership for review and consideration. We value community input on environmental and public health matters and appreciate your engagement on this topic.
Thank you again for reaching out and for your civic involvement.
Sincerely, Office of the Mayor
City of Redmond
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this detailed information and historical context regarding potential PFAS sources at the AWR site. We appreciate you taking the time to document these observations, references, and possible contacts with relevant knowledge.
We will review the information you provided and share it with the appropriate staff.