North Pole Contaminated?

Santa Clause and other residents of North Pole, Alaska, may be exposed to a chemical hazard found in their groundwater supply known as sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene 1, 1-dioxide).  Sulfolane was developed by the Shell Oil Company in the 1960’s for the recovery of aromatic substances found in crude oil such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes.  Sulfolane is now used as an industrial solvent in a wide variety of industrial processes to produce products ranging from insecticides and herbicides to lithium batteries, pharmaceuticals and soap.
The source of the sulfolane in North Pole groundwater is a local oil refinery, initially operated by the Shell Oil Company. The current owner of the North Pole Refinery, Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, recently discovered sulfolane in the groundwater beneath the refinery.  Officials at the Flint Hills Refinery are working with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the City of North Pole to determine the extent of the contamination problem.  It is estimated that as many as 200 private water wells may be impacted.
Flint Hills is committed to providing private well owners with a long-term solution to the groundwater contamination problem. The best option is to connect as many houses as possible having private wells to the North Pole City water supply. Holding tanks or individual treatment systems will be needed for houses that may too far from a city water main.
Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate sulfolane.  In addition, the Department of Transportation (DOT) does not consider it as a hazardous material or a dangerous good. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was requested to review the research involving health effects of sulfolane in drinking water. The ATSDR is recommending that a level of 25 parts per billion (ppb) be established as the most protective level. Texas is the only state that has established a statewide clean-up level for sulfolane and has a lower limit at 0.49 ppb of sulfolane in drinking water.
Thanks to the new owners of the refinery, Flint Hills Resources, the contamination problem at the North Pole is being addressed.  Flint Hills is commended for keeping Santa and other residents living in North Pole safe.  Additional information on the North Pole contamination problem may be found at the following Website: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/csp/sites/north-pole-refinery/.