24 The Daily News, November 5, 2001


Opinion


Kinghill aquifer must be protected
 Oltoatossnmia ist alsat y a s t -analym nandawag wa found&a
UNews contrlbatnigolnist. HI e lives T* pssot proj 1 faor welbad proe
tto&oC Ooao sattanawasc o t FstedatFais Alomume,
 BosnSplotBelhaiansConordi.taw
 In 1996, Co Mrs asproVed ar nd- OMW Granege. Negro Bay aod EOste Golden
meants tolhe fedal Sad e DiSkd g Waler Grove well fields Estate Adventure
Aet. Tis act provides a hanist for ns a oal of 14 wells, nine of
sales and terarites to posex ground which were operated by WAPA. The
waler sources of pubic use from comas- O.10year wellhead protection area i a
miatiatn th, mighl adver ely uneed t toal of 1 11.59 aos, while the 2.-ycm
lhumo health. With this new amend- i chactein iSekced wlls iwen wellhod protttion comprises a 177
rnmscmeheWdeW lheadPrtectiot- sampled and alyzed for pollutes acttslnt.hisaa,35pnttiawse of
gram. Our local Planung and Natal U.S.Ge S y ndcaed ti wse iiaied
ResouesDepatmeo is chB wih teany wells the Kingshill aq Tr were m icipal trash o
t sen tmedatin. theadmainistraton a confined anaccumulation er lleally dups malelsabov-
rof blainthg a Weitad Pretieo s ssS to a lubrici grd agfo natsadudr-
 Wldh I aiance of m he Univesiy w n lionl ttheraorsoees of contamination.
ofthe Vrgin Islands' Water Resomurt Potential health risks for liver, carter
Research Intitute, PNR was able to -sand cireulatoy disorders were men-
asry out a pilot project Irom March I, ton4dL Baren Spot well field is locat.
2000. to Feb. 28.200I on wells in In fact, in Several wells ed in a suburban rnvionment. This
St Croix to determine the conditions as much as 8 feet of oil ar1a well field ompnses about 212
of wells. The water hell of he Virgin acres A total of 94 pterdi.a sou s of
Island is locted in t cniral plains of floating on top of the corwnaiinliuns were identi.
St. Crix projdtuciEg aaln7 o wct of water was measured. Some of the conminatw io.'nan
dOesal g iundws er witdrawalsThis Sewage effluents were we sackinh:spen stargsai.pa-
ma is known as the Kingshill aquifer, t oidote. sutaace *ipoundetltts- noial
he mosa productive and most extn- also detected in wells Ram t animuLs atI freailutrslat e.
sively developed aquifer in the Virgin as well as saltwater Amasding to the report. these types of
slanidsthat covers approximately 25 encroachment inland comiamianas have brn like to kid-
rltmaoa e fheo nt tplaer ofh due topodypane f lie r cne, mot.glo
landue to poorly planned b ia (blue y ynd on m nd gas-
 The area is composed primarily development along the trointestinal linesses. Bethlehem well
of calcareous sediments. Wheres, coast. icld consistsoftwo WAPA wel.with
along the south coast and within the a 1 -yeai wllad odprotectioanofabout
d aagebaisoftheaquifer. it over- 106 acs, ad wiltha20-yearprolec-
lays with alluvium soils. In fac, in several wells as much as s8 ion hat is 191 a
 Hower. his g aquif er oan S flo of oim dealing on Top ofthe water Potential coaltaimtion sources in-
Caixs idt l tem bydebyd loprment d wa measured. Sewage efuents wee dcludell epMdumaboveloltd
rplmeddedpcuirchasclosich i alsodeeteodinewllsawellass-all e sltoagkc..iaiWe u grnu aal*orgneal
gas sloat oads, houses, shopping Ter neamsda ss inat Ah e o poorly a closed gasstation. Other soirmes
sents and scwasge systems. As the planed do,"pmen aong e oast. tihludem tMicitalswer ppdisad
pistasi onof St. Croi continues to A few months ago, I smelled a anmal faelo.Theaeclioamntwai
gow.itiwisetr ourelectiv officials strong odor asas s hiking along the lad to mayilllBsses.Concorda we
to protect this tndergraound weror- Estate Advenlure streambed where iekt ai lscedninthe weortihcc ofSL
sucsbyptssingabilltopeaicth e WAPA puropsu deround water for Coixilxtada risadabot 173.43amcic
ar f.nass flutheri onpe ofdevelop public tt.lwastoldthattheSt.Croix WAPA has about five wells in this
metn. Educational Complex sewage pipes waleited
 Sinoc 1984. the U.S. GCoogical Sw- were constructed rigbh acca or near C.oknm Grove. t(.iange and Negro
vey conducted a reconnaissance of the Esate Advemntu well field. This Baywell field cocompassing hundrles
selected wells throughout the islands shouldn't hav opened. Ths is a ofaaeoi with contamination ranging
parictarly on Sl Coix to determine miwajorwellcidoftheKinashillaqui:r, frmsewerpipestometals leaching mie
Ihe physical, chemical and bsacteiolog- Anyway. I reported it to PNR- It was groundwalefimnlegal dusmp soe