December 28, 2007 - Sharon Britton says oil and gas companies contaminated her water and made her sick, forcing her to desert her home in rural Adams County.
Her plight, as she tells it, dates to at least 2004, when water from her well showed a dark-grayish tint. Laundered clothes came out dingy.
A representative from United States Exploration Inc., which owned an oil and gas well on Britton's land at the time, came to visit. According to Britton, he said their water showed high iron levels. A water filter appeared to solve that problem
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But early in 2006, Britton said she started having health problems, including a rash across her torso. She also had excessive thirst.
In October 2006, her husband, Jim, heard gurgling around their water well. Soon after, state regulators and Noble Energy - the new owner of the oil well - discovered that methane linked to its well was tainting the Britton's water supply.
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Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste Material are issues families all across America are afflicted with daily.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Elkhart Indiana Residents Worry About Contaminated Water
December 28, 2007 - People living in an Elkhart neighborhood are still recovering from the shock of learning that their well water is contaminated.
The Geocel Corporation says they are responsible for the contamination and are currently working to fix the problem.
Anyone with contaminated water has been given water filters and water pumps to make sure the water is clean.
Then in the spring the company will pay to hook up more than 100 homes in the area to city water.
But people who live in the Meadow Farms subdivision say, that's not good enough.
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The Geocel Corporation says they are responsible for the contamination and are currently working to fix the problem.
Anyone with contaminated water has been given water filters and water pumps to make sure the water is clean.
Then in the spring the company will pay to hook up more than 100 homes in the area to city water.
But people who live in the Meadow Farms subdivision say, that's not good enough.
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Contamination has Reached West Grand Traverse Bay from a Superfund site in Greilickville Michigan
December 24, 2007 - Acknowledgment from the Environmental Protection Agency that the presence of contaminants has reached West Grand Traverse Bay from a Superfund site in Greilickville has prompted a call to support an aggressive extraction and treatment plan.
Water samples from the bay surface taken by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have detected the presence of contaminants from the long-closed commercial laundry, documenting that the contamination plume is entering the bay.
“We should all be concerned. We’re here because of the water and our tourism industry depends on the water,” said Jeffrey Shaw, whose bayfront home straddles Cedar Creek in Elmwood Township. “I think the DEQ has done the best they could given the situation.”
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Water samples from the bay surface taken by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have detected the presence of contaminants from the long-closed commercial laundry, documenting that the contamination plume is entering the bay.
“We should all be concerned. We’re here because of the water and our tourism industry depends on the water,” said Jeffrey Shaw, whose bayfront home straddles Cedar Creek in Elmwood Township. “I think the DEQ has done the best they could given the situation.”
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Landfill cleanup could take another decade in Dayton Ohio
December 22, 2007 - Bea Davis, 77, remembers the day in 1994 when the barbed-wire topped fence was erected around the 100-acre Valleycrest Landfill along her backyard property line.
Davis, who has lived in her home at 1919 Valley St. since her father bought the property in the early 1950s, is wondering whether she'll see the day when the toxic waste dump is cleaned up for good.
With $55 million spent, 42,000 barrels of toxic waste hauled away in an emergency action, and more than a decade into the work, regulators say it could easily be another decade before the landfill cleanup is completed and the land can be reused for another purpose, such as recreation fields or a commercial site.
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Davis, who has lived in her home at 1919 Valley St. since her father bought the property in the early 1950s, is wondering whether she'll see the day when the toxic waste dump is cleaned up for good.
With $55 million spent, 42,000 barrels of toxic waste hauled away in an emergency action, and more than a decade into the work, regulators say it could easily be another decade before the landfill cleanup is completed and the land can be reused for another purpose, such as recreation fields or a commercial site.
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Five wells near Terre Haute Indiana show contamination
December 21, 2007 - Standard Register Co. says it’s taking steps to ensure a safe drinking water supply for some residents living near Terre Haute North Vigo High School whose well water is contaminated with perchloroethylene.
But Gary Truelove, one of the affected residents, doesn’t believe the company is going far enough. Truelove attended a meeting Thursday night in which the company outlined how it will respond to the contamination problem.
Testing of Truelove’s tap water showed perchloroethylene levels of 28.7 parts per billion. The Environmental Protection Agency limit for residences is 5 ppb. Perchloroethylene is an industrial cleaning solvent. Five residences tested above 5 ppb, a company representative said. In those cases, the company offered to connect the residences to Indiana America Water Co. and also to provide a $2,500 lump sum to pay for water bills for the next 10 years. In return, the company asks the residents to sign a release.
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But Gary Truelove, one of the affected residents, doesn’t believe the company is going far enough. Truelove attended a meeting Thursday night in which the company outlined how it will respond to the contamination problem.
Testing of Truelove’s tap water showed perchloroethylene levels of 28.7 parts per billion. The Environmental Protection Agency limit for residences is 5 ppb. Perchloroethylene is an industrial cleaning solvent. Five residences tested above 5 ppb, a company representative said. In those cases, the company offered to connect the residences to Indiana America Water Co. and also to provide a $2,500 lump sum to pay for water bills for the next 10 years. In return, the company asks the residents to sign a release.
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
Minnesota couple battles meth remnants in new home
December 17, 2007 - Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a three-part series about a young couple, originally from Slayton, who bought their first home only to discover it was heavily contaminated from methamphetamine production. Part two will appear Tuesday.
Like many young couples, Justin and Krista Keller searched carefully until they found the perfect first home — a small acreage with a four bedroom house, outbuildings and a barn for Krista’s horse. They never imagined their dream home would become such a nightmare. Within months of purchasing the house, they learned it was severely contaminated from methamphetamine production.
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Like many young couples, Justin and Krista Keller searched carefully until they found the perfect first home — a small acreage with a four bedroom house, outbuildings and a barn for Krista’s horse. They never imagined their dream home would become such a nightmare. Within months of purchasing the house, they learned it was severely contaminated from methamphetamine production.
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State to conduct more vapor tests in Hauppauge New York
December 17, 2007 - Residents in the area of a contaminated former textile plant in Hauppauge are being asked to participate in free testing of vapor contamination after the Department of Environmental Conservation held a public hearing at Hauppauge High School earlier this month. The studies will determine whether the contamination has spread to surrounding buildings and homes.
For a decade, from 1975 to 1985, Sands Textiles Finishers Inc. leased the space at 100 Oser Ave. in the Hauppauge Industrial Park, according to records. During the time of operation, the chemical tetrachloroethylene ran into the storm drainage system, most probably through floor drains and slop sinks, according to the DEC.
Vapor intrusion is caused by contamination under a home or building that penetrates basement floors and into the air of the home.
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For a decade, from 1975 to 1985, Sands Textiles Finishers Inc. leased the space at 100 Oser Ave. in the Hauppauge Industrial Park, according to records. During the time of operation, the chemical tetrachloroethylene ran into the storm drainage system, most probably through floor drains and slop sinks, according to the DEC.
Vapor intrusion is caused by contamination under a home or building that penetrates basement floors and into the air of the home.
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Water Contamination and Health in Zavalla Texas
December 16, 2007 - The rural, forested camp life Guy Papania and his family enjoyed outside Zavalla seemed a healthy lifestyle change from their hometown of Port Neches, Papania told the 60 people seated beside him.
Knowing of his hometown's record-setting cancer rates, and having seen half his former high school classmates diagnosed with one form or another of the disease, Papania and his wife decided seven months ago to make their Zavalla-area camp their permanent home.
Then he learned how the small town he has come to call home has its own history of cancer and other illnesses — particularly among its youth. Familiar with the effects of industrial pollution through his own businesses, the father of three small children is still marveling at the irony of his decision.
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Knowing of his hometown's record-setting cancer rates, and having seen half his former high school classmates diagnosed with one form or another of the disease, Papania and his wife decided seven months ago to make their Zavalla-area camp their permanent home.
Then he learned how the small town he has come to call home has its own history of cancer and other illnesses — particularly among its youth. Familiar with the effects of industrial pollution through his own businesses, the father of three small children is still marveling at the irony of his decision.
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Friday, December 21, 2007
PCB levels unacceptable in Massachusetts schoolyard
December 16, 2007 - A new round of testing has discovered PCBs in a schoolyard that has been at the center of controversy surrounding the ongoing environmental cleanup.
The U.S. Environmental Protection said soil samples taken from a corner of a field at Allendale Elementary School revealed unacceptable PCB levels 1 foot under the surface. Although the agency said the pollution poses no health risk to pupils, faculty or nearby residents, a contractor is expected to begin a cleanup tomorrow.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection said soil samples taken from a corner of a field at Allendale Elementary School revealed unacceptable PCB levels 1 foot under the surface. Although the agency said the pollution poses no health risk to pupils, faculty or nearby residents, a contractor is expected to begin a cleanup tomorrow.
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Groundwater contamination concerns in Fairfax Virginia
December 12, 2007 - Residents of the Mantua neighborhood in Fairfax have a gasoline tank farm in their backyard.
Residents of Lorton drive by a landfill that caused concern a few years ago when elevated levels of contaminants were found in the groundwater.
While not directly connected to the supplies used by Fairfax Water in homes for drinking and cooking, groundwater quality does have an impact on the environment across the county.
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Residents of Lorton drive by a landfill that caused concern a few years ago when elevated levels of contaminants were found in the groundwater.
While not directly connected to the supplies used by Fairfax Water in homes for drinking and cooking, groundwater quality does have an impact on the environment across the county.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Tests find high levels of volatile organic compounds in Ithaca New York
December 12, 2007 - A new report on contamination on South Hill continues to show high levels of a variety of volatile organic compound emanating from the fire water reservoir on the Emerson Power Transmission site and from the NCR sewer.
Results show continuing high levels of contaminants in the reservoir and in soil vapor downhill, especially over the two sewer lines that run along South Aurora Street, Columbia Street and Turner Place.
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Results show continuing high levels of contaminants in the reservoir and in soil vapor downhill, especially over the two sewer lines that run along South Aurora Street, Columbia Street and Turner Place.
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Health and environmental officials seek source of fuel-tainted wells in North Carolina
December 8, 2007 - County, state and federal health and environmental officials are trying to determine the source of petroleum and solvent contamination in drinking wells in the vicinity of Halifax Road and Virgilina Road, the Person County Health Department disclosed Friday.
Person County Health Director Janet Clayton said in a press release via e-mail to The Courier-Times late Friday afternoon that for the past month the department has been “investigating private drinking water wells which are contaminated with chlorinated solvents and gasoline around the Halifax Road and Virgilina Road intersection.”
While the source of contamination has yet to be determined, Carpenter said underground gasoline storage tanks at the sites of former service stations in the area are suspect. And he indicated that a former machine shop in the area could be the possible source of the chlorinated solvents detected in the ground water, but there has been no official determination to that effect to date.
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Person County Health Director Janet Clayton said in a press release via e-mail to The Courier-Times late Friday afternoon that for the past month the department has been “investigating private drinking water wells which are contaminated with chlorinated solvents and gasoline around the Halifax Road and Virgilina Road intersection.”
While the source of contamination has yet to be determined, Carpenter said underground gasoline storage tanks at the sites of former service stations in the area are suspect. And he indicated that a former machine shop in the area could be the possible source of the chlorinated solvents detected in the ground water, but there has been no official determination to that effect to date.
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Scientists want to test New Jersey homes for toxic chromium
December 8, 2007 - On Dec. 1, scientists held an informational meeting at the Monumental Baptist Church on Lafayette Street in Jersey City about their ongoing study to see if area homes are contaminated with chromium that has been dumped in Jersey City or used as fill for construction projects.
The study, known as the Hudson Chromium Exposure Route and Pathway Investigation, is being conducted by the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in Piscataway, NJ. The study started last year.
The results will be used by the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to determine the amount of chromium in the air at these dumpsites, and if caps placed on chromium waste sites are still protecting the public.
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The study, known as the Hudson Chromium Exposure Route and Pathway Investigation, is being conducted by the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in Piscataway, NJ. The study started last year.
The results will be used by the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to determine the amount of chromium in the air at these dumpsites, and if caps placed on chromium waste sites are still protecting the public.
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Friday, December 7, 2007
Rialto California seeks Superfund designation for perchlorate
December 5, 2007 - The city of Rialto will ask federal environmental officials to recognize the severity of its perchlorate-contaminated groundwater and to help clean it up.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the Rialto City Council unanimously approved a resolution requesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to add the 160-acre industrial site in northern Rialto where the perchlorate contamination occurred to the EPA's National Priorities List.
The list details sites across the country that "pose risks to human health and the environment," the EPA says.
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At its meeting Tuesday night, the Rialto City Council unanimously approved a resolution requesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to add the 160-acre industrial site in northern Rialto where the perchlorate contamination occurred to the EPA's National Priorities List.
The list details sites across the country that "pose risks to human health and the environment," the EPA says.
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Mesa Arizona residents fear water contamination
December 3, 2007 - ‘‘Hazardous wastes may have been disposed of on site,'' EPA staff member Paula Besson agreed in a handwritten comment added to the report in 1983. ‘‘However, the fact that a cone of depression exists in the groundwater in the area, the remoteness of the area and the depth to groundwater (500 to 600 feet), make this a low priority for follow-up.''
But in the 25 years that followed the report, growth and development encroached on the Talley site, with hundreds of east Mesa homes now within a mile of its location.
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But in the 25 years that followed the report, growth and development encroached on the Talley site, with hundreds of east Mesa homes now within a mile of its location.
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Determining if Your Zip Code is Healthy
December 6, 2007 - Where you live may be as crucial to your well-being as how you live, according to an article published in the December issue of Oprah magazine. Taking steps ranging from investing in a HEPA filter to purify air or selecting a bedroom farthest away from the street to avoid exhaust pollutants to getting an environmental disclosure report that identifies potential contaminants are offered as suggestions to protect your health.
In an article that asks readers, “Is Your Zip Code Healthy?” Environmental Data Resources, Inc. is cited as a provider of information that offers consumers information about types and sources of pollution in and around a property.
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In an article that asks readers, “Is Your Zip Code Healthy?” Environmental Data Resources, Inc. is cited as a provider of information that offers consumers information about types and sources of pollution in and around a property.
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State of Minnesota and federal EPA will investigate possible contamination from underground chemical vapors in 270 homes
December 4, 2007 - Two hundred and seventy properties near the intersection of Highway 7 and Wooddale Avenue in St. Louis Park will be tested for two contaminants. One is perchloroethylene (PCE) and the other is trichloroethylene (TCE). These are man-made chemicals commonly used to dry clean fabrics and degrease metal parts. They're also known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs.
Most of the properties scheduled for testing are residential.
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Most of the properties scheduled for testing are residential.
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Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Meth labs remain hazardous long after arrests
December 3, 2007 - CINCINNATI: No Ohio law regulates the cleanup or disclosure of homes and apartments that are used as labs to cook methamphetamine, leaving unwitting future tenants at risk from poisonous fumes and residue.
Cindy Wilson, 33, says soon after moving into a rental home in western Hamilton County, she and her four children began suffering from nosebleeds and coughing spasms, symptoms her doctor told her could be caused by exposure to methamphetamine.
Testing by county health officials revealed the property had been used as a meth lab. Fearing for her family's heath and furious that she had unknowingly moved her children into a contaminated home, Wilson and her family fled.
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Cindy Wilson, 33, says soon after moving into a rental home in western Hamilton County, she and her four children began suffering from nosebleeds and coughing spasms, symptoms her doctor told her could be caused by exposure to methamphetamine.
Testing by county health officials revealed the property had been used as a meth lab. Fearing for her family's heath and furious that she had unknowingly moved her children into a contaminated home, Wilson and her family fled.
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Vapor intrusion a critical issue for all of New York
December 3, 2007 - On Nov. 20, nine community groups drove to the New York State Legislative Building in Albany to discuss vapor intrusion issues in our homes, our schools and our communities. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo arranged a meeting room so that we could meet in a central location. Besides learning that we are not alone in trying to understand and deal with these issues, we found that we had common goals.
What was most obvious to me from this meeting is that there are issues bigger than any of one community group and bigger than all of nine groups bound together. Perhaps the most important outcome we brought back from this meeting is that we need help from NYS Legislature (Assembly and Senate) to help us resolve vapor intrusion issues in our communities. As a result of this meeting, we have decided to form a state-wide group intent on working within the political system to implement important changes.
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What was most obvious to me from this meeting is that there are issues bigger than any of one community group and bigger than all of nine groups bound together. Perhaps the most important outcome we brought back from this meeting is that we need help from NYS Legislature (Assembly and Senate) to help us resolve vapor intrusion issues in our communities. As a result of this meeting, we have decided to form a state-wide group intent on working within the political system to implement important changes.
More . . .
Federal funding dwindles quickly for Oklahoma residents being bought out of Superfund site
December 3, 2007 - Ella Alsbury is both lucky and unlucky when it comes to her chances of moving out of the Tar Creek Superfund site.
She is lucky because her name is listed among those most qualified for a federal buyout of devalued homes.
She is unlucky because the federal buyout money is expected to run out just before it gets to her name. The relocation committee overseeing the $50 million buyout has only about $18.8 million on hand. The committee needs about $30 million more to fully fund the relocation.
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She is lucky because her name is listed among those most qualified for a federal buyout of devalued homes.
She is unlucky because the federal buyout money is expected to run out just before it gets to her name. The relocation committee overseeing the $50 million buyout has only about $18.8 million on hand. The committee needs about $30 million more to fully fund the relocation.
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New Jersey residents meet with EPA about groundwater contamination issues
December 1, 2007 - Concerned residents had the opportunity Thursday to meet with a project manager from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to discuss groundwater contamination stemming from the sites of two former dry-cleaning businesses.
Geologist and remedial project manager Matthew Westgate met with residents for seven hours Thursday at the municipal building on Allaire Road.
Officials believe tetrachloroethylene a possible carcinogen also known as PCE that is commonly used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing leaked into groundwater not used for drinking from underground storage tanks at the former Sun Cleaners, 2213 Route 35, and the former White Swan Laundry and Cleaners just to the south at 1322 Sea Girt Ave., now a Bank of America branch office.
One of the Wall residents who attended the meeting, 34-year-old Robert Fuhr of Belmar Boulevard, said he was "just very curious to learn about this. It seems to be something that's been going on for years . . . (and) it's amazing that (the sites) sit the same way as they were even when we were kids."
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Geologist and remedial project manager Matthew Westgate met with residents for seven hours Thursday at the municipal building on Allaire Road.
Officials believe tetrachloroethylene a possible carcinogen also known as PCE that is commonly used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing leaked into groundwater not used for drinking from underground storage tanks at the former Sun Cleaners, 2213 Route 35, and the former White Swan Laundry and Cleaners just to the south at 1322 Sea Girt Ave., now a Bank of America branch office.
One of the Wall residents who attended the meeting, 34-year-old Robert Fuhr of Belmar Boulevard, said he was "just very curious to learn about this. It seems to be something that's been going on for years . . . (and) it's amazing that (the sites) sit the same way as they were even when we were kids."
More . . .
Baltimore family sues Maryland's largest power company over contaminated water
November 29, 2007 - An Anne Arundel County family has filed a lawsuit against Maryland's largest power company claiming that a leaky coal-ash waste landfill contaminated their neighborhood's drinking water.
At a news conference this afternoon in Gambrills, Gayle K. Queen, an education counselor, said her husband, David, died of suspicious kidney failure last year after unknowingly drinking water laced with lead, arsenic and other pollutants.
"The people in this neighborhood are anxious every day if the water they drink every day is safe or toxic," said one of her attorneys, Wayne Curry, former Prince George's County executive. "It's a porridge of hazardous chemicals being inflicted on these residents."
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At a news conference this afternoon in Gambrills, Gayle K. Queen, an education counselor, said her husband, David, died of suspicious kidney failure last year after unknowingly drinking water laced with lead, arsenic and other pollutants.
"The people in this neighborhood are anxious every day if the water they drink every day is safe or toxic," said one of her attorneys, Wayne Curry, former Prince George's County executive. "It's a porridge of hazardous chemicals being inflicted on these residents."
More . . .
Monday, December 3, 2007
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency hears concerns from citizens living near dump
November 29, 2007 - A group of residents living near the Renville County Landfill is asking the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for action on alleged problems with the facility in Henryville Township.
They voiced concerns about a range of issues, from wind-blown plastic and dust to groundwater pollution, during a meeting Wednesday with MPCA officials in Willmar.
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They voiced concerns about a range of issues, from wind-blown plastic and dust to groundwater pollution, during a meeting Wednesday with MPCA officials in Willmar.
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Residents of Texas neighborhood get their time with EPA
November 28, 2007 - "I always thought something was being done about the contamination that exists here," said resident Jose Chavez. But after getting throat cancer, he realized this was not true, he said. Chavez asked the representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency to do more.
The EPA hearing in the eastside neighborhood of Manchester on Tuesday drew more than 50 speakers. The EPA asked speakers to come forward in pairs, leading to strange duos like Chavez and the lawyer, Jeff Holmstead.
There were other dramatic moments. One woman said she had just started chemotherapy that very morning. She blamed benzene and other toxic chemicals for her leukemia. Another woman broke down, saying her sister, who had lymphoma and grew up near the Houston Ship Channel, was a human being, not an "acceptable health risk." There was talk about "environmental justice" for "fence-line communities," the neighborhoods where people live just blocks from towering petroleum refineries.
More . . .
The EPA hearing in the eastside neighborhood of Manchester on Tuesday drew more than 50 speakers. The EPA asked speakers to come forward in pairs, leading to strange duos like Chavez and the lawyer, Jeff Holmstead.
There were other dramatic moments. One woman said she had just started chemotherapy that very morning. She blamed benzene and other toxic chemicals for her leukemia. Another woman broke down, saying her sister, who had lymphoma and grew up near the Houston Ship Channel, was a human being, not an "acceptable health risk." There was talk about "environmental justice" for "fence-line communities," the neighborhoods where people live just blocks from towering petroleum refineries.
More . . .
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