1/27/10 CONGRESSMAN JOHN HALL SPEAKS OUT FOR HOPEWELL PRECISION RESIDENTS
Congressman Hall was informed recently that the EPA once again completed a study which can lower the TCE standard from 5 Parts Per Billion, PPB to 1 PPB. Congressman Hall signed onto a grassroots letter to Lisa Jackson, the EPA Administrator. He also wrote his own letter AND spoke to Ms Jackson personally. We appreciate Congressman Hall's help. From the very first day Hall took office he has helped us. He and/or his staff has never missed a meeting and has always been involved when asked. He has supported our needs.
Thank You Congressman Hall
COMMENTS SOUGHT FOR WATER SYSTEM
Deadline for comments concerning where our future water will come from is January 14, 2010. Please be sure to implore to the EPA that in no way do we want county water. This water system uses chloromines. It also has low levels of PCB's. This water is the most expensive water in the county.
Please send your comments to Lorenzo Thantu at:
Thantu.Lorenzo@epamail.epa.gov
EPA
MEETING
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009
7:30 PM
GAYHEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
OUR FUTURE WATER IS AT STAKE
MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND TO VOICE YOUR OPINION
WE MUST FIGHT TO GET THE BEST WATER AVAILABLE
DO YOU WANT WATER WITH PCB’S?
DO YOU WANT WATER WITH LEAD?
DO YOU WANT WATER WITH CHLOROMINES?
THIS IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY.
BE INFORMED. SPEAK YOUR MIND.
NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THIS FOR YOU.
ATTEND THIS MEETING!
Information via the New York State Department of Health website
http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/investigations/hopewell/
The comment period ends December 1, 2009.
How To Submit Comments
The Hopewell Precision Contamination Area Site Health Statistics Review is open for public comment through December 1, 2009. Comments on the report can be emailed to beoe@health.state.ny.us, or mailed to: Hopewell Precision HSR; 547 River St, Room 200; NY 12180
Hudson Valley Magazine has written about our site.
Hudson Valley Magazine article
Photo By Michael Polito
Photo by Fred Robbins
THANK YOU SMITH LABORATORY
For a 2nd year, our booth at East Fishkill's Community Day was a success. Smith Lab's very own Denise Hammond joined Debra Hall and helped residents with all of their private well testing questions. We would also like to thank Ann Smith, owner of Smith Labs, for sending Denise to help us. You can contact Smith Labs at 4 Scenic Dr Hyde Park, NY 12538-1313 - (845) 229-6536.
The Record of Decision is located on the EPA website. This document contains important information about our future water. The link below will download the document. It is a very large file so please give it time to open. You will be able to read questions and answers as well as letters and emails which were sent to the EPA. If you are having a problem opening the file please contact Cecilia Echols at Echols.Cecilia@epamail.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/hopewell/
Our View On Little Switzerland Water Has Changed!
Unfortunately the Little Switzerland Water System no longer looks like a viable source for our future water. First, it is plagued by many water main breaks caused because it is old and it was built incorrectly. After what we have gone though, we should not have to pay to fix the system which is what will happen.
Next, the residents living in the Little Switzerland section are trying to hold the EPA and our future water hostage saying that they need to have benefits before agreeing to LET US HAVE THEIR WATER! Congressman Hall's office planned a special smaller meeting which was supposed to include 8 residents from Little Switzerland, 8 from the Hopewell Precision Superfund section, the EPA and Congressman Hall's representative. Little Switzerland decided to invite every single household, not 8 like they had agreed to. In our view, we cannot trust their words. We do not need 270 landlords for our water.
A Better Water System!
Remarkably, Mr. Phil Shatz, President of the Beekman Water Company which serves the Legends Section of East Fishkill, contacted us and asked to have a meeting. Congressman Hall's office, Debra Hall and Bill Grove met with Mr. Shatz. We believe this water is extremely good quality. Mr. Shatz is willing to work with the EPA and residents to answer any question we might have. Please see this letter, Shatz_Letter.pdf .
Please let the EPA know that you do not want Hudson River Water, AKA the IBM water line, as your tap water. This water contains PCBs and Chloromines as well as other contaminants. We need to let the EPA know what we want. We need to lobby for our water. Please contact Lorenzo Thantu, Thantu.Lorenzo@epamail.epa.gov and tell the EPA what you want.
These are very hard times. The offer to build us a water system will not be offered forever. Your POET systems will not be serviced forever. We need to have a water district not only for health reasons, but for home resale values as well. Please take action now for your future.
Click here to see letter to EPA from Mr Phil Shatz, President of The Beekman Community Well
Community Day Fair a Complete Success
We were busy for a full 5 hours answering questions from residents from all over East Fishkill. Thank you to Denise Hammond from Smith Labs. She really knows her stuff. Should you hire Smith Labs to make a house call to test your water, you will meet Denise.
We suggest that other towns include well testing information at their community day events. Your residents will benefit greatly.
Photo Courtesy of Fred Robbins
Come visit us at the East Fishkill Community
Day fair
Hopewell
Junction
Citizens for Clean Water will have a booth at the East Fishkill community day
fair. Ann Smith, owner of Smith Labs in Hyde Park will join Debra Hall to
explain and answer any and all of your well testing questions. What does it
cost? What should I test for? Why should I test? When is the best time to test?
Please bring any and all of your questions. Look for the
Hopewell
Junction
Citizens for Clean Water banner. Anyone that stops by and asks a well testing
question gets a bottle of cold water, (while supplies last)! We look forward to
seeing you Saturday, September 26th from Noon-5:00PM. Rain date will be Sunday,
September 27th.
The Vapor Intrusion Team of the Interstate
Technology & Regulatory
Council has published two documents. Both may be downloaded as PDF files
from http://www.itrcweb.org/gd.asp. They serve as a national
introduction and intermediate technical guide to the issues involved in
investigating and mitigating vapor intrusion.
Vapor Intrusion
Pathway: A Practical Guide (3 MB, 173 pages)
Vapor Intrusion
Pathway: Investigative Approaches for Typical Scenarios
(1.6 MB, 52 pages)
The Hopewell Junction Citizens for Clean Water would like to welcome Becky Mitchell as our representative at the New York State Department of Health. Bridget Callahan will no longer be the person to contact with your health questions. You can call Becky at 1-518-402-7880 or email her-BEEI@health.state.ny.us.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has an online database which can tell you about environmental spills in your area. We counted approximately 6400 "known" spills on the database which took place in Dutchess County from 1983 to the present. Every town in Dutchess County is affected. The Hopewell Precision Superfund site is not included on the database. The deliberate dumping of thousands of gallons of a possible cancer causing carcinogen, Trichloroethylene (TCE), took place during the 1970's.
The EPA became aware of the dumping only because a letter was sent to them October 1979 from an ex Hopewell Precision employee.
How many other spills in Dutchess were never reported? We will never know. Which is just one more reason mandatory private well testing makes sense.
Research and discover what known and "unknown" chemicals were "spilled" in your town.
Spill Incidents Database Search
Inorganic Supplement To Well Testing Presentation
NYS Assembly Vapor Intrusion Report!
The NYS Assembly's Committee on Environmental Conservation says that the guideline for TCE vapor intrusion should be .02 micrograms per meter cubed. Read the report at
ANTICIPATED REPORT FROM WASHINGTON DC
EPA is told to go ahead and promulgate new water standards for TCE as per National Academy of Science recommendation. EPA Vindicated On Deadly Widespread Contaminant , National Academy of Science
VOC REGISTRY OPEN FOR ALL IN THE HOPEWELL PRECISION SUPERFUND SITE
The Department of Health is reaching out to residents living in the Hopewell Precision Superfund site. They want us to enroll and participate in the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Registry. For those of you that joined in 2003, you are being asked to fill out a follow-up questionnaire. Up until now approximately 40% have chosen to participate. Not only are they asking residents with water contamination to enroll, but they have recently extended enrollment to include residents whose sub slab or indoor air was tested and found to contain VOCs. Our group had fought for residents with vapor intrusion to be included and we are very glad they have extended the registry.
PLEASE, if you received the VOC Registry form in the mail, with a complementary pen too, fill out the paperwork and send it back. Join the registry. By participating in the registry you will be providing valuable information that will help the NYSDOH evaluate the potential health risks that may be associated with community exposure to VOCs'. IF YOU DID NOT GET THE FORM PLEASE CALL MEGAN MELDRUM at 1-800-458-1158 ext. 27950 or 1-518-402-7950.
The only way for this project to be a success is for us to join and continue participating!
It has been over three years!
Many residents in the Hopewell Precision Superfund site have known about our contamination for over 3 years. Contaminated homes continue to get discovered because the plume is moving. These newly contaminated residents should call these attorneys which are representing many in the community for legal advice.
Environmental attorneys Williams, Cuker & Berezofsky represent many victims who live or have lived at the Hopewell Precision Superfund Site. After three years you lose your chance for compensation. Contact them for information:
Their phone # is 215-557-0099
You can also read their website at http://www.wcblegal.com
Do you want your Dr. to have information about TCE?
If the answer is yes, all you need to do is contact Becky Mitchell at the NYS Department of Health. She has information packet's which can be mailed to you or directly to your physician.
Phone (518)402-7880
Email BEEI@health.state.ny.us