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County Clarifies Dewatering Application 

Santa Fe – January 15, 2010 – As reported in a press release on December 23, 2009, the courthouse cleanup continues. To facilitate clean-up of contaminated soil, the County applied for a discharge permit from the New Mexico Environment Department.

There has been some confusion concerning the County's dewatering application.

The County's application states that the clean water will be discharged to an infiltration gallery at the courthouse site, used for dust control either at the site or the Buckman Direct Diversion project, discharged into the City sewer or into the Santa Fe River.

Petroleum-contaminated ground water will be recovered during removal of the contaminated soil at the courthouse site. The water is treated on-site at a temporary water treatment plant to standards established by the NMED and EPA. The plant has been tested and the levels of contaminants found after treatment is in most cases below detection limits, and well below NMED and EPA standards. It is tested daily to ensure the treatment plant is working according to specifications. Copies of the results are on file for the public to review at the Community Services Department and the County Attorney's Office. Copies of the results accompany the County’s application to NMED.

The recovered water will be treated through the infiltration gallery. The County plans to discharge the bulk of the water at the courthouse site itself. If too much water is treated to dispose of in this manner on any given day, other methods of disposal will be used, as described in the application. If water is discharged to the river, it will be a sporadic event, and will not be a significant amount. The discharges will continue only through the first phase of construction. The NMED and the EPA will supervise the entire operation