2 Public Meetings to Focus on Water Cleanup Plans

Two multimillion-dollar proposals to deal with ground-water pollution will be the subjects of separate public meetings in Burbank and North Hollywood tonight.

At the Burbank meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, 1900 N. 6th St., public comments will be taken on a proposed $86.3-million water-treatment system, designed under the federal Superfund program for cleanup of toxic sites. Environmental Protection Agency officials will discuss the proposed system, which would extract and treat up to 22,000 gallons of ground water per minute for use by Burbank and possibly other water utilities.

Burbank’s municipal water supply wells are not being used because of contamination by perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), suspected cancer-causing solvents that have been used in dry-cleaning, metal degreasing and other processes.

Written comments may also be sent to Patti Cleary; remedial project manager; U.S. EPA; 215 Fremont St. (T-4-1); San Francisco 94105.

At the public hearing in North Hollywood, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials will take comments on a proposed complex of water supply wells to be developed along Tujunga Wash between the Hollywood Freeway and Canterbury Avenue. The Tujunga Well Field Project, to cost an estimated $31 million, would consist of a dozen new wells, distribution pipelines, pumps and chlorination equipment.

The site is northwest and in the opposite direction of the flow of the tainted ground water that has seeped to the southeast and into North Hollywood and Burbank drinking-water wells. DWP officials say the Tujunga wells could replace contaminated wells and increase the availability of Valley ground water during droughts or other interruptions in surface water supply.

The North Hollywood meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Saticoy Elementary School, 7850 Ethel Ave.

DWP officials said written comments on a draft environmental report on the Tujunga wells also may be sent before Nov. 28 to Environmental Affairs Group; DWP; Box 111, Room 1348; Los Angeles 90051.