Last year the Department issued an administrative compliance order and $56,000 fine against D&D Mountain Air Cleaners and its owner Richard Beudoin for harmful chemicals being released into groundwater from the property.
“After careful investigation, NMED concluded that this contamination, located near Calle Chavez in Española, is not associated with the Superfund site, but is attributable to Mountain Air, located at 309 N. Paseo De Oñate,” the Environment Department said in a November 2020 press release. “The Calle Chavez plume includes concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) at levels well above federal drinking water and New Mexico state groundwater standards. However, no known drinking water supplies are currently affected.”
According to the state, monitoring showed that the contamination was coming from a specific property.
“Soil gas surveys and shallow aquifer monitoring well installation pinpoint a release of CVOCs on the Mountain Air property,” the administrative compliance order document from the state says.
The contamination caused by D&D does not overlap with the North Railroad Avenue Plume and is not part of the Superfund site.
The Department will either approve the State 1 Abatement Plan by July 16 or will require D&D to address any shortcomings and resubmit the plan. Once this plan is approved, the Department will require D&D to submit a Stage 2 Abatement Plan that will include a clean-up strategy.
Beaudoin did not comment on the plan or contamination.