Source: http://members.jacksonville.com, July 10, 2014
Environmental contractors are back in Brunswick this week putting down more test wells to determine how far contamination from Hercules Inc.’s former operation has spread.
The groundwater beneath the sprawling chemical plant a few hundred yards from the marsh has been found to contain a number of pollutants, most notably benzene.
Workers from Antea Group, an environmental contractor, put down a test well diagonally across U.S. 17 from the plant grounds Wednesday and was working at the plant Thursday.
Denny M. Dobbs, a senior consultant for Peachtree Environmental in Norcross, said the well on the grounds of a former paint factory was sunk to a confining layer about 90 feet down. The well will be used to sample groundwater for pollution to see whether it has spread that far, Dobbs said.
Dobbs is keeping an eye on the work for the owners of the former paint factory.
The EPA is reviewing Hercules’ plan to clean up the groundwater contamination.
A public hearing was held at the Glynn-Brunswick library Thursday night on a different matter but still related to Hercules.
More than a decade ago, Southeast Georgia Health Systems bought 8.6 acres of land north of Hercules’ fence for an employee parking lot. Hercules’ permit to handle and store hazardous wastes had not been modified to reflect the changes in the facility’s boundaries, the company said.
The hearing was held Thursday night to give the public a chance to comment on the permit modification.
Pinova Inc. bought the manufacturing facility in 2010, but Hercules has responsibility to clean up the plant grounds and the groundwater beneath neighboring properties.
Testing of the parking lot grounds in 2013 turned up no pollution that required cleanup or any other action.