Ground‐Water Contamination in Silicon Valley
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 111, Issue 3
Abstract
In the southern San Francisco Bay Area, a state regulatory agency carried out a questionnaire survey to determine the locations and characteristics of underground chemical storage and handling facilities at industrial sites in the area. Sampling of soil and ground water were required at sites where underground tanks containing solvents were reported. The survey identified 1,692 tanks at 388 sites. The largest fraction were pretreatment sumps for industrial wastewater, followed by fuel tanks, solvent tanks, and tanks containing corrosives. Solvent tanks were reported at 96 sites. Subsurface investigations resulted in discovery of soil or ground water contamination at 75 of the 96 sites with solvent tanks, or both. Further investigations and remedial actions are underway at these sites, and new regulations have been adopted at the state and local levels to prevent future release of industrial chemicals into soil and ground water.
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References
1.
American Petroleum Institute, “Tank and Piping Leak Survey Results,” 1981, Assessment of the Technical, Environmental, and Safety Aspects of Storage of Hazardous Waste in Underground Tanks, Final Report to EPA Office of Solid Waste Management, SCS Engineers, Reston, Va., Feb., 1984.
2.
Business Directories Inc., Rich's Business Guide to Santa Clara Valley, Palo Alto, Calif., 1983.
3.
Eisenberg, D. M., et al., “Protection of Ground Water in the San Francisco Bay Area from Hazardous Materials Contamination,” Presented at the 1984 ASCE National Convention, San Francisco, Caljf., Oct. 3–4, 1984.
4.
Guard, H. E., et al., “Characterization of Gasolines, Diesel Fuels, & Their Water Soluble Fractions,” Final Report to California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Naval Biosciences Laboratory, Naval Supply Center, Oakland, Calif., Sept., 1983.
5.
Olivieri, A. W., and Eisenberg, D. M., “A Methodology For Ranking Risk of Ground Water Contamination from Hazardous Materials Sites,” Proceedings ASCE National Conference on Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif., June 25–27, 1984.
6.
Pettegrew, L. P., et al., “Underground Tank Leak Detection Program: Questionnaire Data Base,” California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region, Oakland, Calif., Feb., 1984.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 111 • Issue 3 • July 1985
Pages: 346 - 358
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 1985
Published in print: Jul 1985
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