Hexavalent Chromium

Karen S. Kim The nonprofit Groundwater Resources Assn. of California will present a conference, "Hexavalent Chromium in Ground Water," from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will include speeches and lectures about chromium 6 characteristics, chromium 6 levels in drinking water, legal issues regarding the chemical, regulation of its levels in ground water and the contamination of ground water in Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles. Fred Lantz, assistant general manager of Burbank Water & Power, will speak about Burbank's water issues during the conference's lunch break between 12:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. The conference will be at the Hilton Glendale, 100 W. Glenoaks Blvd.

CITY HALL ? With the state moving closer to significantly lower drinking water standards for chromium 6, local utilities could be forced to institute expensive treatment practices to strip the contaminant from water supplies. The contaminant, also known as hexavalent chromium, was discovered in 2000 in groundwater supplies in the San Fernando basin ? a byproduct of war-era manufacturing plants along the San Fernando corridor. Currently, utilities for Glendale and Burbank blend the water with untainted imports from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, keeping what flows from the tap well within state and federal safety thresholds.

GLENDALE ? A $2-million state grant to help fund two pilot chromium 6 treatment facilities in Glendale has been approved, filling a major funding hole in the cross-jurisdictional effort to remove the toxic element from local aquifers, water officials said. Glendale Water & Power officials received a letter of commitment from the state Department of Water Resources late last week, and are planning to officially announce the funding boost later this week. ?Up until now we were looking to a promise ?

Buck Wargo and Paul Clinton BURBANK -- State Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) wants to talk about chromium in the ground water. Schiff, who is pushing state lawmakers to fast track a study on the effects of chromium 6 in the drinking water of Burbank and neighboring communities, said Thursday he plans to hold a public hearing on the issue in Burbank in October. On Friday, a bill introduced by Schiff two days earlier passed the Legislature that would compel the State Department of Public Health to complete a study by January 2002 to determine whether levels of chromium in drinking water taken from the San Fernando Basin aquifer should be reduced.

Buck Wargo and Paul Clinton BURBANK -- As state and federal water regulators begin drafting safety standards for a cancer-causing form of chromium found in Burbank wells, city officials are reassuring residents that it's still safe to drink the water. City water officials have long known about the presence of hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium 6, in city wells. However, by the time water reaches Burbank businesses and homes it has been diluted enough to meet health standards, Public Service Department Assistant Manager Fred Lantz said.

Paul Clinton CIVIC CENTER -- As Burbank Water and Power officials work to complete a four-week program of testing bottled drinking water, some City Council members are defending the decision while others say the move is out of line. On Oct. 24, the council approved a motion directing city employees to buy bottled water from supermarkets and other water dispensers for testing. The federal Food and Drug Administration regulates water products bottled in one state and delivered to others.

Paul Clinton CIVIC CENTER -- Although the original group of plaintiffs has been whittled down from 2,400 to about 200, an attorney representing current and former Burbank residents who blame Lockheed Martin Corp. for their health problems said Tuesday that the fight is not over. "We feel very confident on the remaining cases," Santa Barbara attorney Thomas Foley said. On Friday, in the latest action to pare down the litigant pool, Los Angeles County Superior Judge Court Carl West threw out 200 claims against Lockheed.

Jenna Bordelon BURBANK -- Two former Burbank residents have lost the fight to continue their battle against Lockheed Martin Corp., officials said Friday. A Burbank Superior Court judge ruled in December that Lynnell Murray-Madrid and her sister, Erin Baker of Florida, were restrained by a settlement approved Dec. 8 by their attorney, Thomas G. Foley Jr. The women wanted to continue fighting Lockheed by filing their own lawsuit, but Judge Carl J. West ruled they could not pursue the matter after their attorney had already agreed to a good-faith settlement.

Paul Clinton CIVIC CENTER -- A month after hearing testimony about the health dangers of chromium 6, four state lawmakers have asked the state's top health agency to take a more active role in informing the public about the carcinogen. During a Tuesday morning news conference at City Hall, legislators called on the Department of Health Services to adopt an "action level" plan for the information campaign about chromium 6, also known as hexavalent chromium.

CITY HALL ? With the state moving closer to significantly lower drinking water standards for chromium 6, local utilities could be forced to institute expensive treatment practices to strip the contaminant from water supplies. The contaminant, also known as hexavalent chromium, was discovered in 2000 in groundwater supplies in the San Fernando basin ? a byproduct of war-era manufacturing plants along the San Fernando corridor. Currently, utilities for Glendale and Burbank blend the water with untainted imports from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, keeping what flows from the tap well within state and federal safety thresholds.

GLENDALE ? A $2-million state grant to help fund two pilot chromium 6 treatment facilities in Glendale has been approved, filling a major funding hole in the cross-jurisdictional effort to remove the toxic element from local aquifers, water officials said. Glendale Water & Power officials received a letter of commitment from the state Department of Water Resources late last week, and are planning to officially announce the funding boost later this week. ?Up until now we were looking to a promise ?

Karen S. Kim The nonprofit Groundwater Resources Assn. of California will present a conference, "Hexavalent Chromium in Ground Water," from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will include speeches and lectures about chromium 6 characteristics, chromium 6 levels in drinking water, legal issues regarding the chemical, regulation of its levels in ground water and the contamination of ground water in Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles. Fred Lantz, assistant general manager of Burbank Water & Power, will speak about Burbank's water issues during the conference's lunch break between 12:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. The conference will be at the Hilton Glendale, 100 W. Glenoaks Blvd.