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Raytheon Begins Interim Cleanup

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By MARK DOUGLAS

mdouglas@wfla.com

Published: November 20, 2008

Updated: 11/21/2008 10:56 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - Raytheon Corp. has begun cleaning groundwater pollution under its closed defense plant in St. Petersburg.

The work comes as state officials say the company is not responsible for carcinogens found in a home near the pollution.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection this week said it had approved the cleanup and Raytheon began pumping and treating contaminated groundwater at its property.

DEP says the interim cleanup is intended to "reduce the potential for further movement of contaminated groundwater."

The treated water will end up in the St. Petersburg sewer system and is the first step toward a comprehensive cleanup of the neighborhood, still in the planning stage.

Pollution from the Raytheon property started moving into residential areas at least nine years ago and has spread more than half a mile in some directions under homes, parks and playgrounds.

The Florida Department of Health says elevated levels of a cancer-causing chemical detected in the groundwater plume is showing up in the air inside a nearby residence at the Brandywine Apartments.

Health Department scientists blame household chemicals for the pollution.
Eckerd College environmental studies professor Kent Curtis said he thinks the chemical is vaporizing from polluted groundwater. "You're not going to find these kinds of levels from a cleaning compound. This is a toxic industrial chemical," Curtis said.

Reporter Mark Douglas can be reached at (727) 709-2753 or mdouglas@wfla.com.

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