[CPEO-BIF] TCE beneath Pennsylvania homes

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[Note the statements by the ATSDR representative. - LS]

Source of well contamination still a mystery 

By Robert Kalinowski , 
Wilkes Barre Citizens' Voice (PA)
December 10, 2004


It will be at least several more months before environmental officials
can pinpoint the source of the well-water chemical contamination in
Wright Township. "If there was an oil spill, you could follow where the
oil was running. With this, you can't see it," said Raj Sharma, on-scene
coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Sharma predicted early spring as the best estimate because more testing
needs to be conducted.

"It's sort of like a puzzle. You have to put the pieces together," he added.

...

Dr. Karl V. Markiewicz, of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, who attended Thursday's press conference, doesn't think those
who drank the TCE contaminated water have much to worry about.

He admitted studies have linked TCE contamination to cancer, but only at
extremely high levels.

The highest levels tested in Wright Township were around 180 parts per
billion. He said even that number poses "no apparent public health hazard."

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13529088&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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