Chromium 6 cleanup slated for contaminated lot

“We’re talking about very small amounts,” Fong said, comparing the situation to research on pharmaceuticals found in the Santa Ana River. Researchers there have been told not to drink coffee or use hand sanitizer to avoid muddling test results, he said.

Sam Unger, executive officer of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, said Ralphs will have to mitigate dust kicked up during demolition and clean-up as part of an agreement approved in November.

Fong said Glendale researchers plan to test pure water alongside the contaminated water to keep demolition effects in check and work quickly to finish the testing before Ralphs starts demolition.

Ralphs still has several steps to take after purchasing the property, such as filing permit applications, before demolition can begin. Ralphs has about four years to finish remediation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been studying ways to remove chromium 6 from groundwater in the San Fernando Valley since 2007 as it prepares to do its own regional clean-up with financial help from the polluters, including Lockheed Martin and PRC DeSoto.

While environmental officials are focused on a water cleanup program, Ralphs is only required to clear its new site of contaminants, not the groundwater below.

The Glendale City Council, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) all have complained that it’s taking too long to set a new lower cap on chromium 6 contamination. Schiff introduced legislation this week that would require federal environmental officials to set a new cap within 12 months of the bill being approved.