Nugent Sand Company

Property owners notified: 32. Date notified: Sept. 20, 2003

Contaminants:

Manganese. A naturally occurring substance found in many types of rocks and soil. Pure manganese is a silver-colored metal; however, it does not occur in the environment as a pure metal. Rather, it occurs combined with other substances such as oxygen, sulfur, and chlorine. Manganese is a trace element and is necessary for good health. Occurs naturally in most foods. Used in steel production to improve hardness, stiffness, and strength.

Possible dangers: Not known whether high levels cause cancer.

Iron. One of the Earth's most plentiful resources. It dissolves in rainwater, entering the aquifer and seeping into wells.

Possible dangers: Not hazardous to health, but gives bad taste to water and food cooked in water.

Properties listed:

3062 Idlewild Road, 3085 Idlewild Road, 3093 Idlewild Road, 3071 Idlewild Road, 3123 Idlewild Road, 3125 Idlewild Road, 2929 Idlewild Road, 3092 Idlewild Road, 3073 Idlewild Road, 2905 Idlewild Road, 2910 Idlewild Road, 3061 Idlewild Road, 3030 Idlewild Road, 3048 Idlewild Road, 3027 Idlewild Road, 3060 Idlewild Road, 3072 Idlewild Road, 3074 Idlewild Road, 2895 Idlewild Road

3307 Winnetaska, 3289 Winnetaska, 3261 Winnetaska, 3291 Winnetaska, 3257 Winnetaska, 3253 Winnetaska, 3245 Winnetaska, 3229 Winnetaska, 3223 Winnetaska, 3224 Winnetaska, 3248 Winnetaska, 3306 Winnetaska, 3300 Winnetaska

Notes: Tests of residential wells in the Idlewild and Winnetaska subdivisions show dissolved manganese and iron in the water. Nugent says the notice of migration is not an admission of fact or law that it caused the problem. Nugent says it uses neither manganese nor iron.

However, it uses an organic acid that comes from pine trees or soybeans, to wash the sand it mines. MDEQ theory is that the process somehow strips oxygen from naturally occuring iron oxide and manganese oxide compounds, allowing the metals to separate and migrate.