DRUG LAB GROUNDS CONTAMINATED

But nearby private wells are clean

WESTPORT -- Six private wells in the neighborhood of a posh State Road
home, where police uncovered a covert drug factory, tested clean of any
contaminants.

However, the leaching field on the property did reveal acetone, methylene
chloride and methyl T-butyl ether (MTBE) in numbers exceeding groundwater
standards.

Those test results caused enough concern for the state Department of
Environmental Protection to install four monitoring wells 50-100 feet from
the leaching field to determine if the plume of contamination is moving
towards those private wells.

State environmental officials began installing the monitoring wells
yesterday at 676 State Road.

"We're happy to say the six private wells tested clear at this point," said
Theresa Barao, a spokesman for the DEP regional office in Lakeville.

Although the test results from the four monitoring wells won't be available
until next week, Ms. Barao said they are necessary to determine how wide an
area must be cleaned up by the property owners.

"The testing of the private wells was done by Frank Corp, an environmental
firm in New Bedford," Ms. Barao said. DEP picked up the $1,000 tab for the
testing. She said if the plume travels toward those wells, other testing
may be necessary in the future.

Two private wells on Pine Tree Lane, two on Warren Street and two on State
Road were tested.

"The contractor hired by the owners did some groundwater testing in the
leaching field and they revealed the same contaminants as were found in the
septic system," she said.

Police raided the property on Jan. 30 and discovered a laboratory suspected
of producing "date rape" drugs. State police chemists and federal drug
officials sampled and removed 55-gallon drums of various chemcials used in
the production process.

Town officials concerned that some of those chemicals may have been
discharged into the septic tank asked the DEP to take samples of the septic
system water.

Those tests revealed the chemicals.

Ms. Barao earlier reported that acetone is a solvent used as a degreaser.
Methylene chloride is often used as a refrigerant and MTBE was once used to
dissolve gallstones and recently has been used as an additive for low-lead
gasoline.

Groundwater standards for acetone are 3 parts per million (ppm). The
leaching field-groundwater tests showed acetone at 13 ppm.

Groundwater standards for methylene chloride are .005 ppm and the test
showed .35 ppm.

Groundwater standards for MTBE are .07 ppm. and test results were 1.03 ppm.

The numbers are significantly less than those discovered in the septic
system testing done earlier this month.

"The new figures are proportionate to dispersing into the groundwater," Ms.
Barao said. "The septic system numbers were contained in the system and had
gone through a filtration process.

These numbers are directly into the groundwater."

According to officials the monitoring wells were installed 50-100 feet from
the leaching field, which is located in the back of the house near the
swimming pool and flowing towards the woods.

During the raid Christopher J. Serra, 32, who lives at the State Road
address and Eric Riser, 31, of Orlando, Fla. were arrested on charges of
manufacturing drugs and possession with intent to distribute. Their cases
were continued for a pre-trial conference today at 2nd District Court, Fall
River.

The State Road property is owned by Mr. Serra's parents, Richard and
Lillian Serra of 67 Cedar St., Fairhaven, and they are responsible for the
cleanup, DEP has said.

Ms. Barao said the state is paying for the testing and monitoring wells
because DEP ordered them "as a precautionary measure."