PG&E Hinkley Chromium Cleanup

Hinkley Compressor Station Chromium Contamination Cleanup

PG&E's natural gas Compressor Station is located approximately two miles southeast of the town of Hinkley and a dozen miles west of Barstow in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County. Between 1952 and 1966, PG&E used hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium 6, to fight corrosion in cooling tower water. The wastewater from the cooling towers was discharged to unlined ponds at the site. Some of the wastewater percolated to the groundwater, resulting in hexavalent chromium pollution. The chromium affects an area of groundwater at least eight miles long and two miles wide.  Chromium plume maps through time are listed on the bottom of this webpage.

PG&E is under orders from the Lahontan Water Board to stop plume expansion and clean up the chromium plume. Monthly monitoring reports by PG&E demonstrate that the chromium plume is currently being contained south of Thompson Road. 

Below are certain documents related to some of these corrective actions. All documents associated with the project are available at the Lahontan Water Board office in Victorville and on the State Water Board’s database called Geotracker at http://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/.

   Sign up to receive updates by email when news on PG&E’s Hinkley Chromium Cleanup or items for review and comment are available.

Announcements

• Notice of Extended Comment Period: New deadline to submit comments is August 24, 2021 - Public review and comment opportunity, draft updated requirements for in-situ remediation zones and the freshwater injection systems, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Hinkley, San Bernardino County - Comments now due by 5pm, August 24, 2021
• Public Review and Comment Opportunity, Draft Updated Requirements for In-Situ Remediation Zones and the Freshwater Injection Systems, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Hinkley, San Bernardino County - Comments due by 5pm, August 9, 2021
• Concurrence with Water Conservation Program: Basin Wide Approach to Mitigate Potential Groundwater Impacts Associated with Operation of Agricultural Treatment Units (ATUs) and Managing Potential ATU Byproducts, Pacific Gas & Electric Company Hinkley Compressor Station, San Bernardino County
• No Further Reporting Required by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Former Waste Pit (Assessor Parcel No. 0488-074-03) and MW-163S/D Investigations (West Community Boulevard) Hinkley, Investigative Order No. R6V-2014-0019, San Bernardino County, Site Cleanup Program Case T10000005814
• 2018 Annual Sampling Frequency Evaluation under Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R6V-2015-0068, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hinkley Compressor Station, San Bernardino County
• USGS Background Study Mid-term Report is now available online: USGS Open-File Report 2018-1045: Natural and Man-Made Hexavalent Chromium, Cr(VI), in Groundwater near a Mapped Plume, Hinkley, California - Study Progress as of May 2017, and a Summative-Scale Approach to Estimate Background Cr(VI) Concentrations
• Watch Dr. John Izbicki of the USGS present an update on the chromium background study and its mid-term progress report. Dr. Izbicki's presentation was recorded at the January 25, 2018 Community Meeting held in Hinkley

Water Board Orders

Cleanup Orders

• Cleanup and Abatement Order R6V-2015-0068, with revised hydraulic plume capture metrics (only attachments 5, 6, and 7 are different from the original CAO) (posted 11/29/16)
• Petition for Review of CAO R6V-2015-0068, submitted to the State Water Board November 25, 2015, by various Hinkley citizens
• Documents related to developing the 2015 Cleanup and Abatement Order

Remediation Permits

• Notice of Applicability for In-situ Remediation Zones and Northwest Freshwater Injection Areas, dated April 20, 2016 (note before printing - this is a 139 page document)
• Conditional Acceptance of Plan to Improve Lower Aquifer Chromium Remediation – Dec. 22, 2014
• Notice of Applicability to Conduct Bioreactor Pilot Test, dated Dec 05, 2014
  
• Waste Discharge Requirements for Agricultural Treatment Units (posted March 20, 2014)
• Waste Discharge Requirements
• Attachments
  • Map of Project Area and Location of Operable Units
  • Map of Existing Agricultural Treatment Units
  • Standard Provisions for Waste Discharge Requirements
  • General Provisions for Monitoring and Reporting
  • WDRs Monitoring, Modeling and Reporting Program
  • EIR Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
  • State Water Board Resolution 68-16 Analysis
  • Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
• General Waste Discharge Requirements R6V-2008-0014

Public Health Information

• Hinkley Residential Wells Study by the Lahontan Water Board
• Click here for Hinkley public health assessments and chemical fact sheets.

Other Documents and Information

Background Study Project Information Report from USGS now available:

• Long version (12 pages, with technical details)
• Short version (2 pages, with summary-level information)

Chromium Background Study

• Dr. John Izbicki of the USGS is leading scientific studies to determine the range of natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) chromium in the Hinkley Valley. Field work for the background study began in March 2015. The link below will take you to the USGS’s webpage for the Hinkley project: http://ca.water.usgs.gov/projects/hinkley/
• Information on the Scientific Peer Review of PG&E's 2007 Chromium Background Study Results
• Project Navigator, Ltd is the Hinkley community's independent technical advisor for groundwater remediation issues.  Project Navigator's Hinkley Remediation Project.
• On July 1, 2014, the hexavalent chromium Drinking Water Standard of 10 parts per billion came into effect. Visit the State Water Board's Division of Drinking Water Chromium-6 webpage.
• Final EIR for Groundwater Cleanup
• Public Health Information for Hinkley

Map of Chromium Plume (Maps prior to 2013 can be found on the Document Archive page)

• List of Chromium Plume Maps
  • The grid book format of the first quarter 2019 map is available here
  • 1st quarter 2019 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11" prints on 6 sheets)
  • 1st quarter 2019 Upper Aquifer Plume (11 x 17" prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the fourth quarter 2018 map is available here
  • 4th quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 4th quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the third quarter 2018 map is available here
  • 3rd quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 3rd quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the second quarter 2018 map is available here
  • 2nd quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 2nd quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the first quarter 2018 map is available here
  • 1st quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 1st quarter 2018 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the fourth quarter 2017 map available here
  • 4th quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 4th quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the third quarter 2017 map available here
  • 3rd quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 3rd quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the second quarter 2017 map available here
  • 2nd quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 2nd quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the first quarter 2017 map available here
  • 1st quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 1st quarter 2017 Upper Aquifer Plume (11x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the fourth quarter 2016 map available here
  • 4th quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5" x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 4th quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume (11" x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the third quarter 2016 map available here
  • 3rd quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume (8.5" x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 3rd quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume (11" x 17', prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the second quarter 2016 map available here
  • 2nd quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 2nd quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the first quarter 2016 map available here.
  • 1st quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer plume map (8.5 x 11", prints on 6 sheets)
  • 1st quarter 2016 Upper Aquifer plume map (11 x 17", prints on 2 sheets)
  • The grid book format of the fourth quarter 2015 map is available here.
  • 4th Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map  (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 4th Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map  (11” x 17", prints on two sheets)
  • The grid book format of the third quarter 2015 map is available here.
  • 3rd Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 3rd Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17", prints on two sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17", prints on two sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2015 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 4th Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 4th Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 3rd Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 3rd Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer  Plume Map (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer  Plume Map (11" x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map ( (8.5" x 11", prints on four sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2014 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11" x 17", prints on two sheets
  • 4th Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5” x 11”, prints on four sheets)
  • 4th Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11” x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 3rd Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5” x 11”, prints on four sheets)
  • 3rd Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11” x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5 x 11”, prints on four sheets)
  • 2nd Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11 x 17”, prints on two sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (8.5” x 11”, prints on four sheets)
  • 1st Quarter 2013 Upper Aquifer Plume Map (11” x 17”, two sheets)

Questions or Comments?

• Please send an email to Jan.Zimmerman@waterboards.ca.gov or phone (760) 241-7376.