CHESAPEAKE
The first test results of tap water in homes on wells near a golf course sculpted from fly ash are in and they “look pretty good,” a city spokeswoman said Thursday.
The findings were mailed to about 50 homes on Thursday afternoon, and residents should receive them in the next day or so, said Lizz Gunnufsen, with the city’s Public Communications Department.
Tests showed some elevated readings for boron, which seemed to be found at a higher rate toward the eastern end of the golf course, in the vicinity of Whittamore Road and the east end of Murray Drive, Gunnufsen said.
The results also found elevated lead levels in several homes, though they were believed to be related to the pipes in those properties, she added.
City officials will continue to evaluate the situation and are aware of the preliminary nature of the findings, but are encouraged by the results, she said.
“As a first step, this should provide some reassurance for the residents,” Gunnufsen said.
The city offered the voluntary tests this month to people living near Battlefield Golf Club at Centerville, which opened last fall.
About 70 tests have been conducted so far, Gunnufsen said.
The city hired James R. Reed and Associates, based in Newport News, to conduct the testing. The city also hired an engineering company to conduct testing on the golf course itself , Gunnufsen said.
The city’s home water-testing program came days after The Virginian-Pilot reported late last month that the golf course was constructed with 1.5 million tons of fly ash from Dominion Virginia Power’s Chesapeake Energy Center in Deep Creek.
Fly ash is a charcoal-gray, powdery substance left behind by burning coal to make electricity. It is captured, stockpiled and regulated as solid waste because it contains heavy metals such as arsenic that can leach into groundwater .
Because of a provision in environmental regulations encouraging the “beneficial use” of fly ash, n o ground water monitoring has been or is required at the golf course, though the city has identified about 200 nearby homes on wells.
Dominion officials said a chemical additive mixed in with the fly ash used on the golf course acts as a binding agent, making any heavy metals in the ash unable to dissolve and preventing them from leaching.
A new letter from the city to affected residents, dated Thursday, said that boron “is often used for agricultural purposes.” That part of the city long has been used for agriculture.
“The levels of boron shown so far do not indicate any threat to human health,” wrote J.K. Walski, the city’s director of public utilities. “We are exploring the implications of the elevated readings.”
Charles Norris, a Denver-based hydrogeologist who works with Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, said boron has been linked to fly ash elsewhere.
“It is an extremely common marker in fly ash contamination cases,” Norris said. “It’s one of the elements that often shows up early.”
The golf course project was unanimously approved by the City Council in 2001. The course, now owned by MJM Golf LLC, is based in Norfolk.
The city is planning to post on its Web site documents related to the case, including records from the state Department of Environmental Quality, MJM Golf LLC and the Chesapeake Health Department.
The documents should be accessible early next week, Gunnufsen said.
Robert McCabe, (757) 222-5217, Robert.McCabe@pilotonline.com
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Concerned Citizens
Apparently you can tell your baby (after the fact), if born with birth defects....that you can sue someone...because they got their unspecified "good", but, also unspecified "elevated"--recommended daily allowance of nutritious Boron!
The sky is falling
Sue the city?? How, why, for what?? I think you need to have suffered some kind of damage in order to sue someone. If the city were to fake the results, they would say there was a problem to force the developer to fix it. If the paper says it is good, it means there is no problem. If there was a potential hazard it would be front page news. The homeowners should worry more about their lead pipes than the golf course. I don't think the report said the results were 'good' I think the paper paraphrased. The report will be available soon, so all the Earthjustice crowd can go nuts theorizing how the combination of 2 hydrogens and one oxygen must be bad and because Thelma Drake is a republican it must be bad.
Once the clubhouse is built, I am sure the course will have working restrooms for all.
Long Term Experiment at Public Expense
This water testing will be required for 10-20 years to ensure the adjacent residents are safe from the 1.5 million tons of fly ash dumped and buried next to their homes. I find it interesting that the City has not reported on the test results from the golf course on site test wells that were required as part of the conditional use permit issued with this project. What is the quality of the water on site? If the water was OK, why is the golf course still using portable toilets? Water is pretty good? What does that mean? I'm sure the analytical chemistry results did not say pretty good. More wishy washy half truths. I guess the next thing that will be said by the water utility experts is that the residents on Murray Drive are getting their "full" ADA requirements for Boron and other metals.
If the city paid for the water testing
It's got to make you wonder just how skewed the results are. It's the cities money, of course the results will be wonderful and glowing, with not a problem in sight ever. Yea right, whatever! If anyone believes the city, I'm sure there's a bridge with some cheap ocean front property for sale somewhere in say, oh I don't know, South Dakota maybe. And like a previous poster said, the development of housing in Berkley on a former site that needs millions of cubic feet removed to even it get it close to habitable, yea, there's another no brainer. Oh, but then you'd have to have a working brain to see how preposterous all this mess is and it's obvious there are no brains working in the Chesapeake City Hall.
I hope the landowners surrounding the golf course sue the city, the owners of the golf course and the power company for all their worth and then some, because of the obvious reckless endangerment of their lives, all in the name of greed and padding someone's pocket.
Look At Past History
When I first read this story, I thought, here we go again. Another questionable vote coming back to haunt us. Remember Wingfield Pointe, where a citizen was having a pool installed and the pool company found barrels filled with something in her backyard. Now we have this golf course made with fly ash that was voted yes on, without thoroughly researching the probability of long term problems. Council members up for re-election have a way of thinking short sided. Next up- Bellharbour, how in the world of common sense can you have people live on land that has been used for industrial purposes for over 30 years. I can almost guarantee you, after this project is around for three years, something will happen and it will be related to the contaminants in the soil. Another gamble, that will come back to haunt us. We need sound decision makers on our city council. Opportunity knocks for change on May 6th. Open the door citizens.
New owner is getting a bad rap
The course sat unfinished for a couple of years. The new guy, with no help from his mother, buys it to try to add nice greenspace to the city and now all he gets is a bunch of criticism from an uneducated public. If anyone is at fault here, it is the original developer...but wait, he just followed the rules he was given. Let's see...how about the Feds that made up some lame rule about "alternate use" and no testing. Or how about a city council that spent five minutes reading synposis about the project and voted yes...nine years ago. seems to me the best way to remedy a possible water issue is to run city water to the neighbors. Or, maybe, just maybe, the city should buy the course, fix it and run a grat municipal course like all of our neighboring cities do. Leave Mr. Sawyers alone...he is not to blame.
Here We Go AGAIN
Chesapeake residents beware! This is another coverup of the quality of the drinking water in Chesapeake. Does anyone remember the lawsuit about the water quality and the mulitude of miscarriages?
Boron from fertilizer
According to the article, Boron can be a side effect of agriculture, from fertilizer. The property was owned by Weaver Fertilizer prior to it becoming a golf course. Not to mention that area of the city has been farmed for many years.
Only 70 out 200 houses were willing to have their water tested. The water quality turned out to be good. Maybe things aren't as bad as they are portrayed. In the 7 years since the project began, there have been no adverse side effects, maybe this is a non-issue.
golf course
There is no health hazard and there will never be one. These projects have been approved by the EPA for 50 years without any problems. As long as the ash is conditioned and properly placed, no leachate is possible, EVER. Your dirt outside your home contains metals. Telling people this doesn't sell newspapers. Falsely creating environmental hysteria does.
Boron
"When animals absorb large amounts of boron over a relatively long period of time through food or drinking water the male reproductive organs will be affected. When animals are exposed to boron during pregnancy their offspring may suffer from birth defects or delayed development. Furthermore, animals are likely to suffer from nose irritation when they breathe in boron."
* Google Lenntech Boron
Gotta wonder what exactly is the amount. "Elevated" seems pretty vague to me. And like the other comment says..The full impact may take a little more time..& even more so in below average precipitation. Strange the suggestion of the agricultural implications as a possible source. Although true, it is also produced by the combustion.....of coal. Possible "Double Whammy".
Bet Thelma Drake is Happy!!!!
More government hiding the real facts. Who paid off who!!!! Bet Thelma's son is Happy!!!
Groundwater moves so slowly that...
It is way too early to expect contamination from migrating. The flow of groundwater is measured in fractions of an inch per year. It is time that the City started thinking about the public instead of padding the pockets of developers.