Dagny Salas, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, May 9, 2008
Pensacola attorney Mike Papantonio talks to members of the Azalea Neighborhood Association at Azalea Baptist Church Thursday. He has filed a class-action suit against Raytheon.
ST. PETERSBURG — Raytheon Co. plans to convert private irrigation wells contaminated by a toxic plume to alternate water sources.
In a news release sent Thursday afternoon, the company said that alternate sources could range from city-supplied water to different irrigation wells.
The plume, migrating off Raytheon's property since an early 1990s contamination, has tainted at least six irrigation wells west of the Tyrone area.
Groundwater contaminants in those six wells exceed state drinking water standards, according to Raytheon test results released last week.
Other wells Raytheon is testing that exceed those standards also will qualify for the conversion, the news release said.
Although Raytheon maintains no public health risk exists, the company and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection advise property owners of the affected wells to avoid using the wells until further notice.
About 500 people showed up at the Azalea Neighborhood Association meeting on Thursday night to hear a presentation about the issues outlined in the lawsuits and ask questions of the attorneys.
Well conversion doesn't change anything, said Mike Papantonio, an attorney who filed one of two class-action lawsuits against Raytheon in mid April.
"It doesn't make any difference," Papantonio said. "It's too little too late. What they need to do is pump it out of ground, they need to put filters in every well and they need to say in good conscience you don't need to worry about it."
News
