Published in the Asbury Park Press
By PATRICIA A. MILLER
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- Behind the swirl of statistics about higher rates of childhood cancer here are the parents. Parents who have sat through chemotherapy reactions, remissions and relapses. Parents who want to know why their children got sick.
"It's impossible to describe," says John Cardini, whose 9-year-old daughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with leukemia at 6. "It's another world you get thrust into, and not of your choice. Daddy can't protect his little girl anymore."
Cardini was one of the parents on hand yesterday at a news conference to introduce their group TEACH -- Toxic Environments Affect Children's Health. They were flanked by three of their attorneys, including Massachusetts lawyer Jan Schlichtmann, who was profiled in the best selling pollution saga "A Civil Action."
Both Schlichtmann and Kim Pascarella, a Toms River lawyer who is TEACH's spokesman, said they believe there is a connection between the United Water Toms River water supply and the higher rates.
"We're suspicious," Pascarella said. "And it's certainly something that will be looked at."
Schlichtmann agreed.
"From the data that is available, there is no question the supply was contaminated with . . . solvents," he said. "These are extremely dangerous chemicals that do not belong in a water supply."
United Water Toms River spokesman Richard Henning said he not been contacted by the attorneys or the group.
"We certainly give our heartfelt sympathy for the families of the children," Henning said. "We are continuing our cooperation with state health officials as they look into the matter. And we'll continue to supply water that meets the safe drinking water standards set by federal and state guidelines."
The 40 families will be represented by Schlichtmann and the Cherry Hill firm of Williams and Cuker. Mark A. Cuker last spring won a $4 million settlement for 200 Manchester Township families who said their water had been tainted by two nearby industries.
The attorneys want to sit down with United Water, Ciba-Geigy Corp. and Union Carbide officials before the end of the year, he said.
Henning declined to comment.
If the attorneys want more information, they should "come to a CAC meeting," Henning said, referring to the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster. "That's what it's all about."
Are the families looking for settlements?
Schlichtmann said it would be "inappropriate" to discuss settlements now. After the press conference, however, he said legal action could be taken in the future.
Trouble first surfaced at United Water's parkway well field in 1987, when contaminants from the Reich Farm Superfund site -- including trichloroethylene and other solvents -- were found in three wells. An air stripper was installed to remove the pollutants.
In November 1996, the entire parkway well field was shut down after fragments of a chemical compound related to the manufacture of plastics was found in one well and suspected in another. Last spring a carbon filtration system was built to remove the compound.
Published on December 13, 1997
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