the quality of the soil and water in the area where the pesticide storage facility is to
be constructed. By checking background soil and water quality,
soil and water testing done any time after construction of the
facility will help determine if there is any contamination due
to the pesticide facility.
Under FIFRA, the EPA has regulatory responsibility for determining
whether a pesticide can be, or remain, registered and also for
specifying, by label, how the pesticide can be used. This
authority is being used to evaluate the leaching potential for
individual pesticides. Regulatory actions such as label changes,
restricted use classification, and cancellation will continue to be
made when needed to protect ground water. These actions on a
chemical-by-chemical basis will define the chemicals posing a risk
to ground water and establish requirements for using chemicals.
Under the Non-point Source Management Program, states can be
eligible to receive funding for ground water protection activities,
including programs to control pesticide contamination of the
ground water.
the pollution from one place that is easy to identify, as this type of
contamination is usually characterized by concentrated pesticide
or contamination plumes that are relatively localized.
This category includes accidental spills and leaks of pesticides
on the farm where they are stored and handled in bulk quantities.
It also includes backsiphoning of pesticides into irrigation
water wells not equipped with proper safety devices. Because of the
character of point source contamination, those who are responsible
for an incident can often be identified and required to pay for the
cleanup. Ground water cleanup can be extremely expensive.
The enactment of amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in
1986 provided EPA with a statutory basis for promoting comprehensive
protection of the nation's ground water as a vital resource.
in contrast to primary porosity, is the porosity that develops in the rock or sediment after its deposition,
by means of such processes a dissolution or fracturing.
Under the Wellhead Protection Program, states will delineate areas
around public water supply wells and institute management programs
to protect these wells from all sources of potential contamination.
The EPA may provide financial and technical support for these
programs.
the region beneath the vadose zone
in which all of the pore spaces between the soil and/or
rock particles are filled with water. The upper surface
of this zone is called the water table.