Published in the Asbury Park Press
BY JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER — For two hours Tuesday night, Dover Township Mayor Paul C. Brush and Township Council members grilled and chastised representatives of United Water Toms River, saying the water company's recent actions have led residents to question both the safety and the adequacy of Dover's drinking water supply.
"The water company is either incompetent or negligent, or both," Brush said. "The company has committed the unforgivable sin of not informing us of a potential health hazard in our drinking water. . . . I see this as a serious breach of trust and credibility. You have no credibility with township officials or the public you serve."
Brush was referring to last week's revelation that the utility had failed to notify either the state Department of Environmental Protection or the public that there had been seven instances of elevated radiation levels in United's sources of supply during 2005.
Drinking water with elevated levels of radiation can lead to an increased lifetime risk of some types of cancer, particularly bone cancer, although the federal Environmental Protection Agency has said there is no immediate risk.
The news about elevated radiation levels came only months after township officials discovered that the DEP was prohibiting new connections to United's system because the company had exceeded its state water allocation permit in three of the past five years. The connection ban has effectively halted new construction in Dover, South Toms River, and the Holiday City and Silver Ridge sections of Berkeley.
Dover resident Joseph Kotran, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said he's frustrated about United's failure to report the elevated radiation levels.
"Obviously I'm extremely upset that they could violate the laws, given the fact that this is an extremely sensitive issue in Toms River," said Kotran, whose daughter, Lauren, 10, has battled nervous system cancer. Kotran said he was pleased that the mayor and council members appeared to finally be putting the water company on notice that this type of failure will not be tolerated again.
"It's not just a water company problem," Kotran said. "Laws have to be enacted to close some of these loopholes so that companies can't get away with this."
Utility's explanation
Council members appeared incredulous when Richard Henning, United's vice president of communications, repeatedly stated that the company's corporate office was not aware that Toms River managers had failed to submit radiation testing data to the state in 2005, as required by state law.
All of United's other New Jersey operations followed the reporting guidelines, Henning said.
"If there was another water purveyor in Dover Township I could go to right now, I would certainly be lobbying to use their services and not yours," Councilman Carmine C. Inteso Jr. said.
Several council members noted that it was even more ironic that the company should fail to disclose elevated radiation test results when the testing protocol for radiation in ground water was revised by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 because a previously unknown isotope of radium was discovered during the investigation into elevated childhood cancer levels in Dover.
"It is inconceivable to me that since the regulations were adopted based on what happed in Toms River, that you would then violate those regulations," Council President Gregory P. McGuckin said.
McGuckin said council members planned to discuss in closed session Tuesday possible actions that could be taken against the water company, which could include filing a petition with the state Board of Public Utilities.
The ban on connections to United's system not only threatens to drastically cut the township's revenue from building permits for this fiscal year, it has also delayed hook-ups for 31 residents in Dover's Windsor Park section with private wells who are in a groundwater contamination zone delineated by the DEP, McGuckin said.
He said township officials learned this week that the DEP will not permit those 31 homes to connect to the system because of the water allocation issue. Nine homes with contaminated wells will be allowed to connect, McGuckin said.
"We cannot connect 31 homes in a Spill Fund claim area because United Water has not met its obligations," McGuckin said.
Change in management
United spokesman Henning said repeatedly Tuesday that he understood why residents and township officials are so angry. He said United is conducting an extensive internal review to determine why its own guidelines were not followed in Toms River.
Former United General Manager George Flegal has been replaced by Nadine Leslie, who formerly worked in United's Rahway operation. Henning admitted it will be difficult for Leslie to restore the company's credibility in the community.
"We understand what you are saying," Henning said. "Ms. Leslie has a very, very tall order here, but she will have much help."
Published in the Asbury Park Press 02/15/06
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