Earlier this month a geologist working with defense giant Northrop Grumman told City Council that the problem of TCE chemical groundwater pollution in northwest Springfield isn’t “getting bigger.” But plans to monitor for cancer-causing TCE are moving forward due to the long-term nature of the issue.
Council voted 9 to zero to approve a licensing agreement allowing Northrop Grumman to place three new monitoring wells on North Westgate Avenue near Kearney Street, less than a mile east of the old Litton Systems plant. There, TCE was dumped in unlined lagoons back in the 20th century, where it seeped into area groundwater.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources says Northrop Grumman — which bought out Litton in 2001 — is “actively investigating and remediating the site.”
Councilwoman Monica Horton said she hoped everyone would support the city’s agreement to continue monitoring with the three new wells.
“Hopefully the EPA will have hawk eyes on this agreement," Horton added.
Councilman Craig Hosmer said he wants the city to “get more proactive” about seeking an “endgame,” since TCE pollution monitoring has gone on for several decades.
