When companies discover that nearby properties are becoming contaminated as a result of their actions, it is prudent for them to respond as quickly as possible and work with the proper state authorities on a remediation plan, with the help of environmental clean-up software.
For example, the owners of 13 properties in Jacksonville, Florida, recently learned that their homes were being affected by contaminated groundwater, according to an article in The Florida Times-Union. The news source reported that Hercules, Inc. has sent each property owner a letter explaining that the groundwater has been flowing onto their property. It appears that certain contaminants that originated at the Hercules, Inc. chemical plant managed to reach the water from the factory.
The list of chemicals includes benzene, which is a natural part of crude oil and is known to increase the risk of cancer and illnesses like bone marrow failure. In addition, there is carbon tetrachloride, which can affect the central nervous system and threaten kidney operation in the event of exposure to high doses.
It is never easy to clean up spills of this nature, but the news source noted that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is already jumping in to take action.
"What we plan to do is work with them ahead of time to make sure that what they're proposing will meet the needs,'' EPD Hazardous Waste manager Jim Brown told the news source. "We want them to take action now to prevent additional groundwater contamination from leaving their property."
The first step will be to prevent future releases. Then, Brown said, they will address the chemicals that have already entered groundwater.
