In the Journal of the San Juans, Feb. 20 edition, the article “Lopez oil leak hazard,” delved into Lopez citizens’  concerns about  ground contamination at the old Lopez Village Market from leaking fuel tanks which has gone unresolved since the tanks were removed six years ago. According to Mark Tompkins, director of San Juan County Health and Community Services, and Kyle Dodd, manager of San Juan County Environmental Health, the contamination is not handled by the county, and has been under the Washington Department of Ecology’s jurisdiction since the site was first identified as contaminated in 2010.The article states that “Dodd and Tompkins then reached out to the Department of Ecology to see what steps could be taken to resolve the contamination and did not receive a response. Dodd most recently contacted the department in January 2016 to find out what the next course of action is, and what Ecology’s plans are for the site. As of press time the county has not received a response.”Since the story’s publication, the Journal has reviewed emails sent from the DOE to Kyle Dodd.On Feb. 2,  Dodd asked “Am I correct in that Ecology will not act any further on this site unless the current or future property owner re‐enters the Voluntary Clean up Program?Voluntary Cleanup Program Supervisor Louise Bardy responded that “Unless there is an immediate threat to Human Health or the environment, Ecology does not chase property owners. By immediate threat, Ecology means for example where contamination is reaching a public water supply well, or product from a spill is reaching a salmon rearing stream. Since this type of site does not really qualify for the Formal Process, the avenue is independent cleanup under the VCP.” Several emails were sent from DOE to Dodd from June 2015 to February of 2016.The Lopez Fisherman Bay Water Association released a letter on Feb. 1 stated their wells are being tested for benzene, a known carcinogen, and have tested negative. Steve Cade, water quality manager of the association, said that public water systems are routinely checked for herbicides, pesticides, bacteria, lead, copper, radium and benzene.