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Hazardous Materials Team Looks for Chemical Tanks in Mesquite, N.M.

Posted on: Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 18:00 CDT

Jul. 27--Acting on an anonymous tip, a hazardous materials team began digging Tuesday to find a suspected buried container on the property of Helena Chemical Company in Mesquite, but early efforts turned up no container.

Ray Montes, with the New Mexico Environment Department's Ground Water Quality Division, said he received a call in January or February that a container was buried on the south grounds of Helena's fertilizer operation.

The company's property is split by Highway 192 with the office and a storage area on the north of the highway and the fertilizer mixing area on the south side.

"I don't know if he was a disgruntled former employee of Helena or just reporting it," Montes said. "There had been thoughts something was buried on the north property."

Over that past year unexplained nosebleeds, headaches, dizziness, respiratory problems and skin rashes have affected a number of Mesquite residents. A private study, contracted by the New Mexico Department of Health, examined residents' complaints and is due to be released this week.

Ensafe Inc., of Memphis, Tenn., has done soil sampling for Helena on previous occasions and their personnel are no strangers to Helena's property.

"When we began using our ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic surveying, we found an anomaly," said Dave Backus, a geologist with Ensafe.

"We think it is a nurse tank, (a small tank 6 1/2 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide), but so far all we've found are welding rods and we are five feet down." Dale Cox, an engineer with Helena, said he was happy the tip was brought to his company's attention.

"We want to continue to be good stewards," Cox said. "If someone has information like this we want to know so we can investigate." Backus said his company is as concerned as anyone about the physical problems that have surfaced in the community.

"Helena is not going on any wild goose chases," Backus said. "This is all based on science. This may eliminate another possibility of the cause of the maladies." Arturo Uribe, president of the Mesquite Community Action Committee, watched the digging as he stood on the bank of a ditch that borders Helena's property.

"I'm glad Ensafe and Helena are doing this," Uribe said. "They could have ignored this, this says a lot."

Helena bought the south property in 1989 from Agricultural Products Company and the north property from Mesa Farmers Coop in 1991. Helena Chemical Company, based in Collierville, Tenn., would be responsible for the clean up of any contamination that might have occurred on their property.

Montes planned to take soil samples on the sides of the hole before it is refilled from the dig.

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Source: Las Cruces Sun-News

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