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By CINDY MAHAN
Rappahannock New* Staff Writer
During a routine testing of the well water at the Aileen plant last November, unacceptable standards for volatile organic compounds, otherwise known as VOC’s, were detected.
Trichloroethylene (TCE) was found in the water samples in amounts which exceed acceptable EPA limits for regulated VOC’s. According to Chris Demme, District Engineer for the Division of Water Programs at the State Health Department’s Culpeper office, a water sample taken from the well in November, 1993 found .010 parts per million (ppm) of trichloroethylene, .014 in December, 1993, and .013 in March, 1994. The acceptable level established by the EPA is 0.005 ppm.
Mr. Demme said that the first time testing for VOC’s was required was in 1993, and the first test done for that at the Aileen plant was in November, 1993.
“As soon as Aileen was notified they had high levels, they got their environmental consultant right away and got bottled water (for the workers in the plant). They were very responsive,” said Mr. Demme.
Aileen Utility Manager Donate Litten said, “The Health Department recommended that we go to bottled water while we do a site assessment.” He said that a site assessment is in progress, and that Aileen is complying with all requests from the Health Department.
Mr. Demme said, “Some of the VOC’s detected are related to dry cleaning solvents.” However, until a study of the water contamination situation is completed in about a month, it will not be known for certain what the source of the contamination is and to what extent it has spread.
According to Bob Faha, Regulatory Service Supervisor at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in Woodbridge, his office is dealing with Aileen and their consultants and will decide what is the best course of action. He said that what the consultants will do, who have been hired by Aileen, is to identify the source of the contamination, and then complete a site characterization, which will show how far the contamination has spread.
Mr. Faha also said that it will have to be determined if the source of the TCE is actually a waste product of the synthetic chemical (after it has been used), in which case it would be
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