Baldwin Park: Mediating a Multi-party Dispute on the Remediation of a Superfund Site/Contaminated Drinking Water Supply (2000-2001)

In March of 2000, CONCUR was asked to assist the U.S. EPA, the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, and the Aerojet General Corporation in mediating negotiations over the containment and cleanup of contaminants at the Baldwin Park Operable Unit (BPOU) of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund sites. The BPOU is located just east of Los Angeles, and involves a several-mile-long area of groundwater contamination in the San Gabriel Valley. The basin also serves as a primary drinking water supply for area residents. Contaminants include volatile organic compounds, perchlorate, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

CONCUR worked with the group to identify and prioritize a list of twenty issues to address, including water supply reliability, treatment technology, the number and location of treatment plants, the cleanup timeline, a myriad of cost issues, and project management responsibilities. In June of 2000, EPA issued Unilateral Administrative Orders to all BPOU Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), effectively expanding the number of participating parties in the negotiation process from three to 19. At the beginning of 2001, seven companies signed a legally binding Memorandum of Understanding to pay $4.1 million in past cleanup costs to area water companies. These companies also agreed to work with the water purveyors and EPA to meet an aggressive deadline to hammer out a 15-year interim Record of Decision.