Contract will test groundwater wells at Idaho DOE site

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – A government contractor in Idaho will test 11 groundwater wells after a hazardous chemical showed up in some preliminary tests at the desert site last year.

The Post Register reported that cleanup contractor Fluor Idaho will take water samples and shoot video inside wells at the U.S. Department of Energy site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality approved the plan last month.

Officials suspect the wells could contain tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE. The clear liquid is often used for dry cleaning or degreasing metal. Fluor hydrogeologist Jeff Forbes says he hopes taking video will help them figure out where the PCE is coming from; officials think the contamination is isolated inside sealed shafts in a certain brand of well.