Water Cleanup Project to Debut

Living up to the ecologically friendly responsibilities imposed on them by the federal Superfund program, Crown City Plating Co. and Hermetic Seal Corp. will host a dedication ceremony today for their ground water cleanup project.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is scheduled to speak at the 11 a.m. event in front of the plating company’s El Monte plant at 4350 Temple City Blvd. Other local officials will be on hand to introduce the innovative program, which has been praised by the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority.

For its daily industrial processes, the plating company will use contaminated ground water drawn from wells that the Hermetic Seal Corp. drilled. Crown City Plating’s daily industrial processes eliminate contaminants from water. The company now receives its supply of 500,000 gallons per day from its own uncontaminated wells.

The $200,000 project will also provide vital data for other cleanup work in the El Monte-Rosemead area, officials said.

“It shows how private companies can use their creativity to reduce ground water pollution,” said Kenneth Manning, chairman of the water authority.

Because Hermetic Seal’s wells can supply only 10% of the plating company’s daily needs, other companies should be encouraged to drill shallow wells and pipe their water to Crown City, said Lawrence Donovan, director of chemistry and environmental studies for the plating company.