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Halliburton getting grip on scope of situation [The Duncan Banner, Okla.](Duncan Banner (OK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 15--DUNCAN -- Not everything is yet written in stone, but Halliburton Energy Services officials believe they are getting a grip on the scope of perchlorate contamination being found in an area around Osage Road and North Fifth Street. And it's possible that grip will be tightened even more by Wednesday, when Halliburton hosts a public meeting. "We have some very high-powered hydrogeologists working on mapping the movement of the groundwater plume, and we'll be able to give some of that information at the meeting," Jim Prestidge, Halliburton's Global Vice President of Health, Safety and Environment, said, in a telephone interview. The extent of the plume carrying ground water contaminated by perchlorate will be just one topic addressed by Prestidge and experts from Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, when a public meeting is held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, at Simmons Center. It's the second public meeting Halliburton has organized since water containing the chemical perchlorate was discovered in private water wells in the Osage Road and North Fifth area. The initial meeting was held July 19, about three weeks after samples first showed the presence of perchlorate in 18 wells. Since then, the number of wells tested has grown, the testing project has expanded geographically and Halliburton has been taking remedial steps that include providing water to those affected through temporary waterlines. From the outset, Halliburton has taken responsibility for the injection of perchlorate into the groundwater system. That occurred during a period from 1965 to 1991, during which the company had a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to remove and burn spent missile fuel contained in missile casings. The perchlorate was contained within the missile casings. When Halliburton closed its site on Osage Road, the perchlorate, a salt mineral, leached into the water system in the area. In an interview with The Banner, Prestidge said the number of wells tested have now risen to over 200 and there has been positive perchlorate readings in "about 92 wells." The Environmental Protection Agency has established 15 parts per billion of perchlorate as a maximum standard on its guidelines for the presence of perchlorate in water. "Right now," Prestidge said, "there are 26 wells that are above 15 parts per billion in our testing, and those are all within one-half mile of the (Halliburton) property. The highest concentrations are adjacent to the property at Fifth and Osage." Most wells are testing under the EPA standard, Prestidge said, many being in the range of 1 or 2 parts per billion. As an example of the volume of 1 part per billion, he noted, "We've anecdotally said that if you put together about four of the (Duncan) city pools like the one in Fuqua Park, and you put one drop (of perchlorate) out of an eye dropper, that is one part per billion." During the testing process, hydrogeologists from SAIC have been mapping the extent of the plume flow carrying the tainted water, and they have noted the topography of the area "tends to pull the water to the south and east," Prestidge said. He said the hydrogeologists "have been able to collect a lot of data points, and we're pretty confident we know" where the plume is moving. "The hydrogeologists have some simulators and simulations that we hope, in time, can look at (the plume's movement) in the past, present and future," Prestidge added. Since the initial discovery, Halliburton's remedial steps have included providing bottled water for residents in the affected area and a project to provide temporary waterlines, in which the company is partnering with the Oklahoma DEQ, the City of Duncan and Rural Water District No. 5. Rural Water has already installed over 10 temporary waterlines along Fifth Street north of the Halliburton site. Last week the Duncan City Council signed a contract with Halliburton that will first result in temporary waterlines and eventually involve installation of permanent waterlines in the Osage and Fifth area. "We very much appreciate the council and city approving the resolution (on the waterline installation) and we're working as quickly as we can to get that moving," Prestidge said. "We're working with the DEQ to get some necessary permits, and we hope to get to installing those (temporary) lines on August 15." Halliburton has also offered to cover the expense of health screenings for residents of the affected area and the company set up a telephone hotline (1-800-580-8609) and emergency email account ([email protected]) to provide information on having wells tested and on the health screening opportunities. "We're still getting responses, and we're trying to be as transparent as we can be and keep the communication lines open," Prestidge said. "I was out in the public a week ago and walked the streets in that area and talked to local folks. We also have a man on the ground every day fielding calls and emails. "We do want to make sure that impacted residents who wish to have health screenings get those screenings done as soon as possible. We'll pay for the screenings, but folks need to get those done as soon as possible, for everybody's piece of mind." ___ To see more of The Duncan Banner, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.duncanbanner.com. 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