Contaminants found in groundwater-monitoring wells beneath a golf course sculpted from coal ash are at alarmingly dangerous levels, according to environmental experts who have seen more detailed results of city-sponsored tests on the site.
The city refuses to release the full report of the findings, making it difficult to assess the scope of the risks that the contaminated groundwater poses to people living around Battlefield Golf Club at Centerville.
"This is serious; they have a problem," said Dr. Peter deFur, an environmental consultant in Richmond and a part-time faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University.
"All of these heavy metals cause neurological damage, especially to the developing brain."
Water tests in nearby homes have shown no evidence that contaminants are being ingested or have affected drinking water in any of the roughly 200 potable wells in the vicinity of the golf course.
The city has provided summaries of its findings, which show elevated levels of arsenic, lead, chromium and manganese, all elements associated with fly ash.
City officials have refused, however, to disclose the complete findings of its investigation thus far on the golf course. The testing began following reports in The Virginian-Pilot that 1.5 million tons of fly ash was used to build the golf course and that safeguards such as groundwater-monitoring wells and liners in man-made lakes were not required as part of the project.
The city posted detailed summaries of the test results on its Web site on July 25, eight days after sharing some of the findings with residents living near the golf course and four days after The Virginian-Pilot filed a Freedom of Information Act request, seeking the full set of data.
The Pilot followed up by clarifying its request, asking for the complete set of consultants' records from the golf-course tests. The city provided some additional information, including a map of the well locations, but has declined to release all of the requested records.
In addition to the other heavy-metal contaminants, the findings showed mercury levels well above the state's groundwater standard.
Full Story: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/missing-data-chesapeake-fly-ash-leaves-incomplete-picture
