Published in the Asbury Park Press
By Jean Mikle
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
Several contaminants, but N.J. can't shut wells
DOVER TOWNSHIP — Fifteen irrigation wells in a northwestern Dover neighborhood contain high levels of volatile organic chemicals, and state environmental and health officials are discussing the potential health impact of the contamination.
William F. Lowry, chief of the state Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Environmental Measures and Site Assessment, said the pollution levels found in some of the irrigation wells is "fairly high," with about 1 part per million of volatile organic contaminants, including benzene, a known human carcinogen.
The drinking water standard for benzene and some other volatile organics, like trichloroethylene, is 1 part per billion, far below the amounts discovered in the irrigation wells. Tricholoroethylene is believed to cause cancer in humans.
There are no state standards for contaminants found in irrigation wells, although Lowry said Monday that the 15 homeowners with polluted irrigation wells had received letters from the DEP strongly recommending they not use their wells. Lowry made his report at a meeting of the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster.
"I have a real problem with saying they don't have to be closed," Linda L. Gillick, who chairs the committee, said Monday. "How much more exposure is going to happen to the children in that neighborhood?"
The DEP began an investigation in the area, off North Maple Avenue, in January, and irrigation well testing was done at the end of April.
Joseph Meneghin, who lives off North Maple on Fiddlers Run, found benzene contamination in his irrigation well in late 2005. The Meneghins, whose 6-year-old daughter, Gabriella, has liver cancer, decided to have their well tested after a neighbor, Karl Putnam, had his irrigation well tested and found benzene contamination in the well water. The Meneghins have public drinking water supplied by United Water Toms River, as do most homeowners in the area.
Lowry said the DEP found two polluted potable water wells in the neighborhood during extensive testing conducted over the past few months. Both those wells have been connected to filtration systems using state Spill Fund money. Testing of 30 more drinking water wells turned up no traces of contaminants, he said.
There is no state law that requires polluted irrigation wells to be capped or turned off, Lowry said. The DEP sought to test 75 irrigation wells in the neighborhood, but only 36 homeowners agreed to allow their wells to be sampled.
Fifteen of those 36 irrigation wells were contaminated, Lowry said. He said the DEP is continuing its investigation and intends to go into the homes with polluted wells and drill holes in the basement floors to take vapor samples.
Those samples will help state officials determine homeowners' potential exposure to the pollutants.
Meneghin and other homeowners in the area have expressed concern about potential exposure to the chemicals through breathing the pollutants that have been released into the air when the sprinkler systems are turned on.
Lowry said the source investigation is focusing on three to four businesses in the vicinity of Route 9. The DEP is also looking at the previous use of the land, where farms stood before homes were built. It is possible a chemical or chemicals used on the farm property could have seeped into groundwater, Lowry said. The chemicals discovered in the groundwater are typically found in gasoline, he said.
In 1994, private wells at five homes in the North Maple Avenue area were found to be contaminated with benzene, dichloroethylene, trichloroethane and dichloroethane, all volatile organic pollutants.
About $54,000 in state Spill Fund money was used to connect homes in the area to public drinking water provided by United Water Toms River. The private wells were sealed.
Lowry said DEP officials have been meeting with the state Health Department to determine if anything should be done to make sure homeowners with polluted wells do not use them for irrigation.
Meneghin asked if homeowners could be prohibited from using the wells.
"We don't have the statutory authority to do anything at this time," Lowry said.
"This is kind of new territory," said Jerald A. Fagliano, an epidemiologist with the state Health Department. "Right now, we can't do that."
Lowry said the DEP will attend the June 27 Dover Township Council meeting to give a more complete presentation on the irrigation well contamination and the continuing investigation. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in town hall, 33 Washington St.
Published in the Asbury Park Press 06/14/06
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