THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. will start the installation of granulated activated carbon or GAC duplex units on 10 wells identified previously with contaminants perfluorooctane sulfonate or PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA.
Assistant Attorney General Jose S. Mafnas Jr., who filed CUC’s latest status report in federal court last week, stated that a preconstruction meeting was held with Primtek on Nov. 30, 2020.
Jose Mafnas Jr.
He said the company has “ordered several parts that they will need to begin installation.”
On Jan. 30, 2020, Federal Judge David O. Carter received a report from a U.S. public health engineer that found “contaminants still exceed the health advisory level in the identified water wells.”
In a health advisory issued on Jan. 8, 2020, CUC reported that it had detected levels of two contaminants, PFOS and PFOA, that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.
The affected areas included Chalan Laulau, Iliying, Chalan Kiya, As Terlaje, Kannat Tabla, Fina Sisu, Oleai, and parts of southern Garapan, Gualo Rai, Susupe, As Lito and As Perdido.
In November 2008, after EPA cited CUC for violation of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, the District Court for the NMI issued Stipulated Orders 1 and 2.
SO1 focuses on drinking water issues while SO2 focuses on oil issues, such as requiring CUC to repair and replace oil storage and operation infrastructure, manage tank and pipeline facilities, and require spill and emergency response equipment and protocols.
The stipulated orders also direct the parties to provide the court with status reports on CUC projects.
In relation to the contaminants PFOS and PFOA found in the water wells, the attorneys general of Guam and CNMI have filed separate lawsuits against the manufacturers of fire extinguishers that contained the chemicals that contaminated the territories’ water systems.
