Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Groundwater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DOE details groundwater interim measures, pilot study and monitoring at Etech (Area 4)
Summary
DOE said it is updating its corrective measures study for groundwater, reported an automated interim pumping system at the former sodium disposal facility that has removed 69,000 gallons of contaminated water to date, and described a 2025 in‑situ pilot at the Hazardous Material Storage Area now in performance monitoring.
DOE and contractor staff used the first Connect meeting to outline recent groundwater work at the Etech site in Area 4 of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.
Luke Hill, project manager for Northwind, said DOE is in the corrective measures study (CMS) phase for groundwater. "In 2023, DOE submitted a draft of the corrective measure study to DTSC, for review," Hill said, and noted DTSC requested additional studies; DOE completed the supplemental data collection in 2025 and is updating the CMS for submission to DTSC in 2026.
Hill described an interim measure implemented at the former sodium disposal facility (FSDF). DOE began manual pumping at one well in 2017, expanded to multiple wells after a 2018–2020 source investigation, and in 2024 automated the system using solar-powered pumps and valving tied to a 5,000-gallon storage tank. "Since we began the interim measure, we've removed 69,000 gallons of contaminated groundwater," Hill said. The system is sampled quarterly to assess performance; when the tank reaches an internal alarm (~75% full), DOE coordinates off-site pickup and treatment and disposal of the water.
Hill also described a 2025 pilot study at the Hazardous Material Storage Area testing in situ chemical and biological amendments intended to stimulate breakdown of contaminants. He said the pilot plan was reviewed by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, injections were approved, follow-on monitoring wells were installed, and performance monitoring will continue into 2026 with a results report to DTSC.
Groundwater monitoring details: DOE said it monitors roughly 115 wells across Area 4, collecting groundwater elevation, chemistry parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, oxidation–reduction potential) and contaminant concentrations to track plume extent and trends and to support remedy selection.
What happens next: DOE will submit an updated corrective measures study to DTSC in 2026, continue quarterly sampling of interim measure wells, and complete performance monitoring of the pilot study before reporting results to DTSC.
