PARTON 15 

 became aware of what was being poured into the ground approximately 3.3 miles up aquifer from the small community’s water well and sole water supply. The local folks organized to challenge the dumping activities and force the closure and removal of the contamination. The paper trail shows that up through 1983 the University intended to remove at least the chemical waste and have it taken to another facility. A UA memorandum from Robert E. Dorsey, Director, UA Dept. of Risk Management to Robert A. Peterson, Vice President, Administrative Services dated 8/5/81 (16) states:
“The work that has been proposed for Page Ranch is in no way mitigated by the policy decision to eventually eliminate Page Ranch as a chemical waste disposal site. First, the chemicals that are currently stored there must be removed. This involves excavating approximately one-third of an acre of the existing site and removing and treating the chemicals. To do this, protective suits must be purchased to protect the people going back into these areas. This chemical retrieval is required by State Statute for us to continue to use the site even on an interim basis. The residual from the treatment of the Page Ranch material plus the residual from the ongoing monthly treatment operations will then have to be disposed of in an approved manner. This includes using plastic liners in the pits, encapsulating the waste in concrete so that it can’t migrate, providing appropriate markers and treating the surface after the material is buried. To treat the surface so that no water can reach the waste, the soil must be compacted and then paved. 

It is anticipated that the recovery operation will cost approximately $50,000 and that there will be an ongoing annual cost for Page Ranch of $15,300. This annual cost incorporates $3,000 in paving costs and $1,000 in analysis that will continue even after chemicals are all removed from Page Ranch since it will still be used for radioactive waste.(16) 
 

       To that end, the University of Arizona contacted a Phoenix firm called Chemical Waste Management, Inc. and on 11/17/82 received a bid proposal for the clean up of the entire area: “excluding the area containing radio-active material.” (17)