St. Joseph residents to receive water through September because of lead contamination

St. Joseph residents to receive water through September because of lead contamination.
Their water has been coming from the state’s disaster relief stocks since Dec. 16.
Before St. Joe residents can brush their teeth with tap water again, the town’s entire water system will have to be replaced.
Even before lead was found in St. Joseph, for years the water often came out of the faucet brown and smelly leaving many not drink it if they didn’t have to, he said.
And children under the age six are the most vulnerable to lower IQs, hearing problems, anemia and other serious health problem caused by ingesting even small amounts of lead.
Guidry’s Office of Public Health continues testing throughout the town but his scientists have focused intensely on the 38 homes with the highest readings.
Guidry said he doesn’t know for sure yet, but judging from the years of tests that showed no lead contamination, he suspects that instability of St. Joseph’s system caused some of the old pipes and old repairs started flaking lead into the water.
St. Joseph’s water system, in an average month, costs $36,305 to operate but raises only $17,250 in revenues, according Greer’s report.
State money to replace the town’s water distribution lines became available on Jan. 22 and work has begun.
The court-appointed fiscal administrator also reported that refurbishing the treatment facility also has begun but the costs haven’t determined yet.

19 Brockton schools had contaminated drinking water

Photo/ ThinkStock 19 schools had at least one water fixture positive for lead above federal action levels, and 13 of those tested positive for both lead and copper.
The Enterprise @AnnaBurgess_ENT BROCKTON – Water fixtures at 19 of the district’s 23 schools have been shut off in recent months after they tested positive for lead or copper contamination.
Of the 23 school buildings in Brockton, 19 had at least one water fixture that tested positive for lead above federal action levels, and 13 of those tested positive for both lead and copper above action levels.
At every other school, both lead and copper levels were high in some water fixtures.
Other school committee members said they were glad to have done the testing and taken action on the results.
Ward 4 committee member Brett Gormley said, "I’m happy the state DEP gave us the chance to do this, because we never would have known about (these fixtures)."
Sullivan said he was "a little surprised" to see the results, but said he thought the district was "doing the right thing" in shutting off or replacing the fixtures right away.
In Brockton, a high percentage of children have had elevated lead levels in the past decade.
Between 2005 and 2015, 15 percent of Brockton children tested had elevated lead levels, while only 5 percent of children in Flint had elevated levels during its water contamination crisis.
He said these contaminants, which have possibly been in some school fixtures for years, may be connected with a higher-than-average rate of children testing positive for elevated lead levels.

Blood tests offered, no cleanup plan yet for Westhampton water contamination

Blood tests offered, no cleanup plan yet for Westhampton water contamination.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Dr. Tomarken and other officials said at the time they believed the chemicals came from the 106th Air Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard based at Gabreski Airport.
In a statement to News 12, the state Department of Health says, "The Water Quality Rapid Response Team…identified PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) contamination in some private wells in the Westhampton Beach area near the Gabreski Airforce base.
In addition, the DOH says it is working to identify a local laboratory that will administer the testing and should have one picked out soon.
Environmental advocates say they would like to see the contamination cleaned up as soon as possible.
"[PFOS] has been directly linked to such cancers as kidney cancer…but has also been linked to thyroid problems, hormone disruption," says Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"It’s a serious chemical, it’s very persistent, which means it doesn’t break down in the environment or in our body, and it builds up."
Dozens of families in the community are now hooking up to the public water supply as a precaution.

Westhampton residents await answers amid water contamination

Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Dr. Tomarken and other officials said at the time they believed the chemicals came from the 106th Air Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard based at Gabreski Airport.
They urged the Air Force to fix the problem.
In a statement to News 12, the state Department of Health says, "The Water Quality Rapid Response Team…identified PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) contamination in some private wells in the Westhampton Beach area near the Gabreski Airforce base.
In addition, the DOH says it is working to identify a local laboratory that will administer the testing and should have one picked out soon.
Environmental advocates say they would like to see the contamination cleaned up as soon as possible.
"[PFOS] has been directly linked to such cancers as kidney cancer…but has also been linked to thyroid problems, hormone disruption," says Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"It’s a serious chemical, it’s very persistent, which means it doesn’t break down in the environment or in our body, and it builds up."
Residents with private water wells were encouraged at the time of the discovery to switch to the public water system.

Homeowners Near Westhampton Air Base Plan To Sue Suffolk County Over Drinking Water Contamination

Homeowners Near Westhampton Air Base Plan To Sue Suffolk County Over Drinking Water Contamination.
Those tests have always come back negative—which made it all the more surprising when they were contacted in July by Suffolk County officials who wanted to test their well water for two new chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.
In December, the Suffolk County Water Authority finished hooking up their home to public water at no cost.
“I had heard inklings of possible contamination at the base years ago,” Mr. Green said this week.
The contamination was announced in July when Suffolk County officials said they had detected both chemicals in testing wells at Gabreski Airport.
At the time, Suffolk Health Department officials tested the wells at 69 private homes and said they discovered contamination in eight, with levels ranging from 0.086 ppb to 1.88 ppb.
That raises additional concerns for local residents, like the Greens, who have likely been drinking contaminated water for decades.
Elizabeth and Jerome Liggon, who owned a home on Peter’s Lane on Quiogue for 10 years, said this week that they feared there were issues with their water for years, citing the high number of their neighbors who would complain about various illnesses.
According to Mr. Lanciotti, Suffolk County is currently reviewing all of the notices of claim and has requested a hearing with each individual plaintiff to review their charges and evidence filed against the county.
After the hearings are finished, Mr. Lanciotti said the county will have a chance to respond to the claims.

Water contamination concerns residents

Water contamination concerns residents.
That’s because it was determined to contain higher than allowed amounts of the chemical carbon tetrachloride, which has been found to cause cancer in animals.
Another area resident, David Hohlfeld, has had well water for 26 years but he doesn’t drink it and he heard years ago that it wasn’t safe.
Bottled water offered The state has offered to test his well water, and he’s going to take them up on that.
Another resident in that area who didn’t want his name used said he has been drinking that water and is concerned about possible effects.
What those effects could be depends on a lot of factors, including the person’s health condition and if they have medical issues.
But he did warn against consuming it and the state has passed out bottled water to the 29 affected households to provide residents a safe source.
There were numerous questions along with close examination of maps set up to explain the contaminated zone.
KDHE itself has a lot of questions.
Jurgens said they moved as fast as they could to issue the warning and set up the forum.

Concerns Over Lead Reports Boost Bottled Water Sales in Israel

Recent reports about the presence of lead in some of the country’s drinking water and the health risks associated with it have created a spike in sales of bottled mineral water.
According to the StoreNext retail data firm, since TheMarker initially disclosed water-quality data from the Israel Standards Institution earlier this month, there has been an 11.8 percent increase in the sales of bottled mineral water.
This comes on the backdrop of what have already been steady increases in mineral water sales in the country – up by 0 percent since 2011 and by 5 percent in 2016 alone.
The major food retailers and smaller corner groceries alike have all been seeing similar increases in bottled water sales since the news about the lead in tap water; all the major mineral water brands have also been experiencing similar sales jumps since those reports broke.
StoreNext reported that sales of Neviot mineral water (a brand of the Central Bottling Company, the local Coca-Cola licensee) jumped 14.8 percent; Mei Eden sales have been up 11.6 percent; and sales of Jafora-Tabori’s Ein Gedi brand have risen 9.4 percent during the period from February 1 to 18.
News of tainted water followed the Health Ministry’s disclosure on January 18 that samples of water taken from espresso machines at some cafes had prompted concern about the presence of lead.
A report prepared by the Health Ministry in 2013 that was recently made public took issue with what had been the ministry position – that the presence of lead in lower concentrations than the maximum allowed amount was not dangerous.
"The main concern in such cases is harm caused by lead to the fetus’ developing nervous system, and studies have demonstrated that even [exposure to] very low concentrations [of lead] in pregnant women can cause damage to children’s intelligence and behavior.
Such exposure during pregnancy can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth,” he adds.
During the last three decades of the 20th century, studies showed that long-term effects of lead could ensue among children even after exposure to very small amounts of the substance that caused no symptoms initially.

DENR clears Bataan plants of air, water contamination

DENR clears Bataan plants of air, water contamination.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has revealed that there was no contamination of air and water around a power plant and fuel refinery in Limay, Bataan.
These are San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) subsidiaries SMC Consolidated Power Corp. plant and Petron Bataan fuel Refinery’s coal-fired plant.
“The coastal water along PLT Cove was found as not contaminated with substances that could be attributed directly to Petron’s dumping of bottom ash in the area,” the DENR said.
DENR’s monitoring in January found no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
“Total suspended particulates and sulfur dioxide from air samples at the PEX site and Carbon Site were “within National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values,” DENR – Environment Management Bureau Central Luzon said.
The DENR-EMB added that ash disposal facilities of both PLT Cove and SMC are covered in soil, compacted and sealed with water for ash dispersion and deposition prevention in near communities.
3, 550 metric tons (MT) of ash were hauled out to SMC’s Northern Cement Consolidated in Pangasinan while 7.950 MT were treated, according to data from Petron Corp. Two bottom ash dump facilities inside the Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) complex have not been used after DENR ordered the halt of dumping activities on the site.
In 2016, residents of Limay, Bataan accused the power plants of causing health problems because of an alleged ash spill in their storage facilities.
EMB Central Luzon will continue to assess the environment quality in Limay communities.

Military Families Wrestle with Marine Camp Water Contamination

Today, Antonett, now a wife and mother, has cancer — breast cancer, lymph cancer, brain cancer.
Brewster moved to Waterloo from Chicago to help Jonathan care for Antonett.
Dill himself was a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune for a time.
Also disabled, Dill’s condition is being monitored due to exposure to the contaminated water.
Dill wants any veteran who served at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between 1953 and 1987 to contact his office at 291-2512.
Another issue is with dependents of veterans, like Antonett Cox.
She receives medical care but does not receive monthly compensation like her father.
Brewster was among the first to discover a connection between her daughter’s illness and Camp Lejeune.
She found information online about the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
Jones was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2015.

Schumer: PFOS water probe should go beyond Stewart Air Base

By Leonard Sparks Times Herald-Record @LeonSparks845 CITY OF NEWBURGH – TinaMarie Coughlin worries about her four children’s health.
Coughlin’s concerns also include the continued discharge of contaminated water from Stewart Air National Guard Base, which has been identified as the source of Newburgh’s water contamination.
This month the Air National Guard submitted to the state a plan for investigating the source of perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, the toxic chemical found in Newburgh’s Washington Lake and in nearby private wells used by residents like Coughlin.
Hangars, a testing area and outfalls that discharged collected runoff and drainage from buildings will be among more than a dozen spots to be investigated for PFOS, which is believed to have come from firefighting foams at the base.
But Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday the plan should include investigating and cleaning pollution at Recreation Pond, the off-base retention pond used by Stewart.
Washington Lake and other local waterways contaminated by PFOS and its sister chemicals should also be part of the military’s investigation and clean-up plan, Schumer said.
"The bottom line is that pollution like PFOS-tainted water does not stop at the base’s perimeter and neither should the Air National Guard’s pollution source survey and clean-up plan," he said.
Wells have also been contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, a chemical related to PFOS and also used in firefighting foams.
A final report summarizing the inspection’s findings will be completed by Jan. 10, 2018.
Schumer, DEC officials and the environmental group Riverkeeper have repeatedly called on the military to take a more immediate step: stop the continued discharge of contaminated water into Silver Stream.