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Water-test rules lax, critics tell DEP
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Published in the Asbury Park Press
BY JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
United Water on CAC agenda
TOMS RIVER — When members of the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster learned Monday that public water systems can be permitted to forgo testing for radiation in drinking water for several years, they reacted with anger and disbelief.
"Do you understand how stupid this is?" citizens committee Chairwoman Linda L. Gillick asked Eugene J. Callahan, a section chief for the state Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Safe Drinking Water. "They're giving all of us, maybe in Toms River or anywhere else in the state, the ability to be exposed for years."
Citizens committee member Kim Pascarella shared Gillick's frustration.
"It's the same rule that allows the government agencies to say the water meets all federal, state and local standards, even though the water is crap," Pascarella said.
The anger expressed by members and several residents who attended Tuesday's meeting followed a presentation by Callahan that laid out the rules by which public water systems in the state are required to test for gross alpha radiation, as well as two isotopes of radium in drinking water.
The discussion took place against the backdrop of United Water Toms River's recent disclosure that there were seven instances of elevated radiation levels in its system during 2005. The company failed to disclose the elevated radiation levels to the DEP and to the public, as required by state law, and was fined $64,000 by DEP.
Company apologizes
On Monday, company spokesman Richard Henning offered another apology. Last week, the township filed a petition with the state Board of Public Utilities, asking the BPU to revoke United's franchise to provide water service here.
"I came here tonight certainly not to offer any excuses," Henning said. "We certainly owe you a great big apology."
Callahan said that under federal guidelines adopted by New Jersey, DEP assigns each public water system a specific year between 2003 and 2007, during which they must test for radiation in their system.
If a system's "rolling average" for radiation is in compliance for all four quarters of the year, which means that the average for gross alpha radiation does not exceed 15 picocuries per liter of water, and combined Radium 226 and 228 does not exceed 5 picocuries, the water purveyor does not need to test again for a minimum of three years.
Callahan noted that at least public water systems, including United Water, are doing more testing than required under the law. United Water has tested for radiation in drinking water for several years, and submitted data to the DEP in January for radiation testing done in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Dover Township resident Joseph Kotran said if there is no requirement that water systems test more regularly, most will not do so.
"I think you're naive if you think the companies are going to do testing that is going to expose them to liability," Kotran said. "You have such a huge time span between the time you are going to be testing."
Dover Mayor Paul C. Brush suggested that he join with the Township Council and the citizens committee to lobby for more stringent regulations for radiation testing.
Closer monitoring by DEP
Callahan said that as a result of United Water's failure to comply with state regulations in 2005, the DEP has assigned a staffer specifically to oversee United.
"He has to be on top of this one much more closely than any other system," Callahan said of the instructions given to the staff member. He said that the DEP will have a computer monitoring system in place by late summer which will automatically notify officials when a system has not submitted monitoring reports as required by law.
Ferro Lane resident William Grablauskas Jr. said he does not believe the $64,000 fine the water company received was high enough.
"Basically, a $64,000 fine doesn't seem to make a difference in the big scheme of things," Grablauskas said. He asked state officials to tell him if he should empty the water from his inground pool, since it was filled last year, during the time when United Water's testing showed elevated radiation levels in three of the company's sources for its drinking water supply.
Dr. Jerald A. Fagliano, an epidemiologist with the state Department of Health and Senior Services, said the biggest concern with radium is ingestion, through drinking, and not absorption through the skin.
"The amount of water you would ingest while swimming is very small compared to the amount you ingest if you drink the tap water or use it to make tea or coffee or juice," Fagliano said.
Camelot Drive resident Carol A. Benson said she was dissatisfied with the performance of both the DEP and United Water.
"Somebody in your department should be fired because they didn't do their job," Benson said.
Brush told Henning that the concerns expressed Monday night are the same worries about water quality that he and council members have been hearing from the public for several weeks.
"People in this town are very, very concerned about the drinking water," the mayor said. "You have to have greater accountability to the people in this town."
Published in the Asbury Park Press 03/7/06
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