D.A. Seeks More Aides to Protect Water

Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckus on Thursday asked county supervisors to support a major crackdown on operators of faulty underground storage tanks that pose a long-term risk to Orange County’s ground-water supply.

County officials stressed that the tanks--many of them leaking chemicals into the ground--don’t present an immediate threat to the public. But they said the pollution could eventually seep into the aquifers that supply Orange County with half its drinking water.

“Some ground water has been contaminated, but most of the aquifers are much deeper--and are usually protected by a layer of clay,” said Denise Fennessy, a program manager with the county Health Care Agency.

But she added that the clay protection is not impermeable to contaminants--meaning they could leak through.

Under Rackauckus’ proposal, his environmental-crimes unit staff would be increased from two to four prosecutors. The number of investigators would increase by two. The upgrades would cost $546,000, and the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to take up the request next week.

The additional staff would focus on enforcing a federal law requiring the upgrading of underground tanks and the installation of monitoring systems to detect leaks. The law was enacted in December in response to concerns that many older, single-walled tanks seep contaminants into the ground water.

With the extra staffing, officials expect to step up prosecutions of tank owners who disobey the law.

Countywide, more than 2,600 tanks are buried at more than 900 facilities, including gasoline stations, chemical and aerospace companies and trucking firms. The tanks store gasoline, waste oils, other petroleum products and chemicals.

About 60 facilities have been cited for failing to comply with the new law, according to a report by the Health Care Agency.

Many of the citations were for lack of monitoring systems or of reinforced piping, officials said. The fines for noncompliance vary, depending on the severity of the violation.

Few citations for tank violations were issued, officials said, because most tanks in the county are already double-walled.

Some environmental groups have expressed special concern over tanks that leak a mixture of gasoline and the chemical MTBE into wells and ground water. Oil companies used MTBE as a gasoline additive to reduce carbon monoxide levels. But the additive has also been linked to serious health problems, including cancer.