The groundwater contamination in San Diego County is apparently bigger than thought. Kinder Morgan Energy says the newly discovered extension of the plume under Qualcomm Stadium means the site will take longer to clean up.
The newly discovered contamination extends the plume by another acre. The area is under Friars Road near the intersection at Mission Village Drive and San Diego Mission Road. Kinder Morgan must remove the original plume area by 2010 and wants another three years to clean up the newly discovered contamination.
Regulators aren't extending the deadline, but the city of San Diego's Marsi Steirer believes there will still be delays.
"And to have the board's staff identify a very large plume less than a year-and-a-half away from the cleanup deadline -- it's obvious that the deadline will not be met," she says.
Once the cleanup is finished, the city hopes to use the groundwater under the stadium to supply up to 5,000 homes.
