THE typhoon season is once again threatening the estimated 10,000 tons of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated soil that remain to be treated in a flood-prone area in Tanapag.
Juan I. Tenorio, chairman of the Tanapag Action Group, yesterday said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Chemical Corp. need to be mindful of the typhoon season. Last year, several PCB-tainted soil-holding cells soaked in floodwater, he said.
Tenorio said the flooding in the area spreads the contamination to surrounding vicinity. He said this was “proven” by the fact that an area near the PCB treatment site had recently been found to have contamination above the standard cleanup level of 1 part per million of PCB gives credence to concerns.
“Remember, these sites were previously found not contaminated, and now they are found to be so,” Tenorio told Variety.
The annual typhoon season in the CNMI begins late June or early July and lasts up to November.
The other estimated 10,000 of PCB-tainted soil had already been treated using the indirect thermal desorption.
Tenorio said Army Corps and ECC should “mitigate” the impact of flooding at the southern portion of the treatment site.
Frank Ono, on-island representative of Army Corps, said they have already taken steps in preparation for the typhoon season.
Ono said the PCB-laced soil is strongly secured.
Each soil-holding cell has two cover liners—one at the top and one underneath to prevent rain and floodwater from making their way into the contaminated soil secured inside.
Ono said last year’s heavy rain showers and flooding had no severe effects on the soil-holding cells.
Last year, however, Army Corps had to patch at least one hole found in a rusting soil cover.
Tenorio said last year’s typhoon season did not even bring strong rain showers.
“There’s no major typhoon last year but we saw flooding. How much more if there’s very strong typhoons this year?” Tenorio said.
“Even from the start, we reminded them that the treatment site was located in a flood-prone area. Now the contamination extends up to the main highway,” added Tenorio.
PCBs are suspected to cause cancer among humans. It is a man-made chemical linked to physical, mental, and behavioral disruption affecting fertility, learning ability, aggression, parenting and mating.
