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Show mm by Laurel Brady It never rains, but it pours. Just when it looked like the end was in sight for water safety questions in Mapleton, the issue blew up again with a new twist. At least two of Mapleton's culinary culi-nary wells contain small amounts of a chemical called RDX. And it almost certainly came from Trojan's Tro-jan's explosives plant at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. RDX is a carcinogen. It does not occur in nature. No acceptable level of RDX has been established for drinking water since the substance is almost never found in culinary wells. But Larry Mize, Manager of the Ground Water Protection Section of the State Division of Water Quality said 100 micrograms micro-grams per liter or 100 parts per o JO Q- Qp n n ii j i i rV 4 n n Pi fTnH nn" H D H t it I fA Y The Springpiiie City W Iffif Menu 'Christmas ra ro-fc MM ro-j mm mm billion would likely be set as the maximum safe level if a standard were imposed. Mize and other officials were reluctant to discuss the issue Friday because they did not yet have written confirmation of the results. However, Mize said he thought Mapleton's wells tested at under two parts per billion. It is not know if that figure reflects a median, high or low value, since the results are based on a single sample. Mize stressed amounts that small are difficult to verify due to sensitivity limitations limita-tions of testing instruments. However two separate labs produced pro-duced similar results. Resident David Nemelka contacted the Springville Herald Thursday afternoon with the news. At that time, Mapleton Mayor Richard Maxneld and the Prr- -nAi.,,-.!,...!....! wm 1 ' f 1 l ' N t ' m.iT-ii Front Row: Carol Huff, Oliver Nielsen, Leland Bowers, David Caron and Reed Exklund. Middle Row: Christia Martell, Fukan Sorenson, Theron Leany, Kathy Jennings, Dean Pettersson, Cheryl Pfeifer, Dell Gordon, Ruth Bybee, Art Lopez, Lorrie Dibble, Russ Fautin and Ralph Anderson. Back Row: Scott Dibble, Norm Swarts, James Tindall, Charles Senn, James Bird, Alan Tipton and Paul Gause. Missing: Brenda Argyle, John Arrowchis, Brad James, Carole Ann Bartholomew, Debbie Hatfield and Richard Hales. A city council members were not even aware of the problem. However, How-ever, Public Works Director Kent Wheeler immediately went to Salt Lake to talk directly to state officials to be briefed on the extent and nature of the contamination. contami-nation. State officials assured Wheeler and Mayor Maxfield the detected amounts of the explosive compound com-pound are so small they are not considered hazardous. Maxfield said no precautions are expected, but additional testing will continue contin-ue to make sure nothing in the water is dangerous. RDX is rapidly degraded by light, but once in soil, it resists degradation. Brad Maulding, Section Manager of the Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste said the RDX could have' been discharged from the Trojan plant prior to the 1970's, when hazardous waste disposal methods became regulated. Current disposal dis-posal practices would almost certainly prevent discharge of any more RDX, as wastewater is treated and tested before it leave the plant. Maulding said the compound is not explosive while suspended in water. Maulding said interested persons can obtain copies of Trojan's compliance history through his office. He was aware of only one violation, other than minor paperwork problems, since the 1986 rupture incident and felt Trojan is not currently discharging discharg-ing any RDX or other hazardous materials off site. However, Maulding said prior to regulation, it could have been December 21, 1994 - The Springville Herald - Page Three routine practice, since the plant was built in the 1940's, to dispose dis-pose of contaminated water directly di-rectly into the ground. Nemelka considers the discovery discov-ery significant. His private well and those of his neighbors have been testing positive for unsafe levels of nitrate contamination for years, and the well owners were never notified until September of this year. Trojan Corporation is thought to be the source of at least some of that contamination, but Trojan officials do not admit responsibility. Nemelka says the presence of RDX proves Trojan is more than likely the source of the nitrates as well. The problem may not be confined to nitrates and RDX. Mize said the discovery of RDX opens the possibility other explosive explo-sive or toxic substances could be in the wells. Testing for nitrates is routine, but RDX is the first non-routine Trojan product spe- fvrvn sDtvn 11 L J uwum cifically tested for. The EPA does not require testing for substances sub-stances that are not likely to be found in wells because of the cost of unnecessary testing. The plume of known nitrate contamination from the 1986 spill appears to be moving toward the city at the rate of about 1000 yards a year. Other contaminants may be traveling with it, or may have arrived separately. The plume has not yet reached the city wells, and it is unknown if it actually will. Maulding notes it is also possible another unknown plume carried the RDX. Maxfield said crews were drawing water samples Monday to test for copper and other substances. sub-stances. Mize said officials will continue contin-ue to evaluate the problem to determine what recommendations to make to city officials. Removal of the contamination could be Continued on page 7 5v SI |