March 16, 1998
Joe Krovoza, Co-Chairman
Putah Creek Council
1608 Olympic Drive
Davis, CA 95616
Dear Mr. Krovoza,
I wish to follow-up on a phone conversation Ernie Pfanner reported to me he recently had with you regarding my March 4th letter to the Council on Putah Creek water quality issues. Mr. Pfanner reported that you stated the Council has formed an opinion that there are no problems with Putah Creek's water quality based on the Council's experts' opinions as a result of their studies/review of Putah Creek information. I assume the Council's representatives who testified on behalf of UCD at the public hearing on the CVRWQCB's Waste Discharge Requirement Order No 97-236 and the Cease and Desist Order No. 97-237 regarding UCD's WWTP relied on the Council's experts' findings. You declined to provide Mr. Pfanner any information identifying the Council's experts or their studies/findings.
On behalf of DSCSOC, I would like to request any information that the Council may have on Putah Creek water quality issues that would cause the Council to conclude based on appropriately conducted studies, that Putah Creek has high water quality and that there is no impairment of the designated beneficial uses of the Creek. The LEHR Superfund site investigation is preparing for the first time, to properly investigate the impacts of the storm water runoff from the site on Putah Creek water quality. To date, UCD or others have not provided DSCSOC, nor to my knowledge the Remedial Project Mangers at the site, with any information regarding the Council's experts' findings other than to mention Dr. Moyles' superficial investigations which have been found to not adequately address key fundamental issues regarding the impacts of the discharge of toxicants to the Creek by UCD and other sources as well as the bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals such as lead and mercury in Putah Creek fish near where UCD discharges its campus wastewaters to the Creek. There are a number of studies currently being conducted including; ATSDR's/US EPA follow up study, CVRWQCB's (Val Conner) study and UCD's Slotten study but the results of these studies have not yet been reported.
UCD and DOE have spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on the LEHR site investigation to date and are preparing to spend tens of millions more. Any information the Council could provide regarding Putah Creek's water quality would be important to the LEHR site investigation. DSCSOC would appreciate the Council sharing its information with us and the LEHR site's investigators.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Julie Roth, Ex. Dir
cc: DSCSOC's Ex. Board
Dr. G. Fred Lee
LEHR RPMs
LEHR PRPs
CVRWQCB
Ernie Pfanner
William H. Taylor, ATSDR
Jane Riggan, CDHS
Gary Carlton, Ex. Officer, CVRWQCB
Return to Document List |
Return to DSCSOC Home Page |