PERCHLORATE AND LEGAL IMMUNITY

According to http://www.acwanet.com/legislation/legis/99prior.html, theAssociation of California Water Agencies is asking the California legislature to protect perchlorate-impacted water utilities from personal injury suits. Specifically, this protection would apply to the water purveyors affected by the Aerojet perchlorate/tce/nitrosodimethylamine plumes in Rancho Cordova and the San Gabriel Valley. No California legislator offered to sponsor this resolution. Recently a California appellate court has held that the water utilites cannot be held liable for "unknown" contaminants as long as they followed the regulations of the state Public Utilities Commission. No word on whether the personal injury attorneys will appeal to the state supreme court.

One defendent, the Southern California Water Company, owned wells in Irwindale immediately downgradient from the Aerojet Azusa site, and then purchased Rancho Cordova's wells in 1964 when the state water board reported these wells contained 1000-2000 ppb perchlorate.

Larry Ladd

Community Representative
Aerojet Health Assessment Site Team
Rancho Cordova, California