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Reich Farm Health Assessment
(Dover Township) Toms River, New Jersey
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Conclusions
Hazard Category for the Reich Farm Site
Based on a weight-of-evidence analysis of the health and environmental information compiled, each Public Health Assessment assigns a hazard category (see Appendix) in response to the public health risk
posed by the site being evaluated. Each category relates to a set of additional actions or interventions that may be considered by the ATSDR, the NJDHSS or other public health agencies, as well as
recommendations for further action to the USEPA, NJDEP or other environmental agencies.
The Reich Farm site is considered by the ATSDR and the NJDHSS to have represented a public health hazard because of past exposures. This determination is based on the following considerations, taken
together: 1) the presence of completed exposure pathways in the past (through private and community water supplies) to VOCs (including PCE and TCE) and other chemicals, to a potentially large population;
2) epidemiologic studies from other communities suggesting that exposure to TCE and PCE may increase the risk of certain childhood cancers and adverse neurological effects; and 3) the presence of an excess
of childhood cancers in the community.
Much uncertainty exists concerning the composition, levels and toxicologic characteristics of past exposure to contaminated private and community water supplies. Although the toxicological evaluation
performed for this Public Health Assessment did not suggest that adverse health effects from documented past exposures to contaminated drinking water (through private wells or the community water supply)
were likely, this evaluation is based on limited historical environmental data. Therefore, although it cannot be documented, the public health significance of past exposures related to the Reich Farm site
may have been greater than is apparent from the toxicological evaluation of the known levels of contaminants performed in the Public Health Assessment. For the reasons above, further evaluation and follow
up actions are warranted in order to evaluate the public health significance of past risks posed by the site.
Current conditions indicate that exposure to contaminants from the RF site is no longer occurring. The exposure pathway through private well use was interrupted by the establishment of a well restriction
zone, and there is no indication that private wells are still in use for potable purposes in the area above the RF plume. The exposure pathway through the community water supply has been interrupted by the
diversion and treatment of contaminated water from wells #26 and #28 at the Parkway well field, and the recent installation of treatment for well #29. However, treated output from wells #26 and #28 may be
pumped into the community water supply in times of high water demand. Containment of the RF-related groundwater plume through effective management of the Parkway well field is critical to ensure that currently
unaffected wells remain so. In addition, proper operation of the treatment systems in place is necessary to reduce or eliminate the entry of RF-related contaminants into the distribution system. On-going water
monitoring is needed to document the effectiveness of well field management and treatment systems. For these reasons, the ATSDR and the NJDHSS are categorizing the RF site as no apparent public health hazard
under present conditions. Should NJDHSS or ATSDR become aware of information indicating that RF-related exposure is still occurring, or if private wells are still in use in the plume area, this determination
will be reconsidered.
Health significance to warrant further epidemiological evaluation of childhood cancer incidence in Dover Township. Also, because there is uncertainty about the toxicity of unusual RF site-related contaminants
now found in the groundwater plume (SAN trimer), further toxicological evaluation is needed.
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