Residents of a small New Jersey town have had their taps turned off after toxic pollution was discovered in their groundwater. The situation has escalated to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to NJ Spotlight News.
What's happening?
Hundreds of household wells are being tested in Washington Township, a semi-rural settlement where immense levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — a family of chemicals better known as PFAS — have been found in the drinking water since 2019, NJSN reported.
The emergency response began with the state's Department of Environmental Protection, but it asked the EPA to step in as the severity of the problem became clear. Several dozen taps have now been shut off, and those residents are being supplied with bottled water, per NJSN.
According to the outlet, officials estimate that pollution in the area began in the 1950s, when a textile mill used PFAS to make waterproof and stainproof products. This process generated toxic sludge, and when the mill ran out of space to store the waste, it partnered with a farmer who spread the sludge over 50 acres of fields until the mid-1970s. Up to 14,000 gallons of sludge were plowed into the soil and seeped into the groundwater from there.
Since then, the original contamination has spread through underground channels into 372 identified properties, though the EPA guesses the total span is larger, NJSN reported.
"It just kind of kept growing," Margaret Gregor, an EPA coordinator for the site, told the outlet. "They just kept finding more."
Why is groundwater pollution important?
PFAS are bad news, in more ways than one. Exposure has been linked to serious health effects, such as higher cancer risks, reproductive issues, and developmental delays in children.
Likewise, Warren County crop growers and cattle raisers are concerned that the contamination may impact their livelihoods. Locals also fear the pollution could have reached the nearby Musconetcong River, a cherished source of fishing and recreation.
"Not only is it an environmental issue, it's an economic issue," Tom Dallessio, executive director of the Musconetcong Watershed Association, told NJSN. "We need to make sure we protect that."
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Never 👎 What's being done to clean up the area?
The EPA is first assessing the problem via two phases of water testing. One will hone in on the wells closest to the original polluted farmland, and the second will expand south from there to the Musconetcong River. The goal is to finish all sampling by this summer, NJSN explained.
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If a well tests above the federal PFAS standards, the agency will send bottled water to that household, cover the cost of a new water filtration system, and in some cases, help expand water pipelines to connect homes with the pollution-free statewide water system.
This involvement from the EPA is possible because the Biden administration listed common PFAS under the federal Superfund law just months ago. That allows the agency to treat the situation as an emergency, access more funds, and even take legal action to recover costs from responsible parties. After testing is completed, the area may be designated as an official Superfund site, which would open more doors for remediation.
"This is one of the first sites like this in the country for PFAS that's being pursued by EPA," Dave Rosoff, another coordinator on the project, told the outlet.
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