Date : Fri, 8 Jul 2016 17:19:13 -0400
The Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI) has held up an important report to recommend the state limit of a toxic chemical prevalent in New Jersey’s drinking water called PFOA. Perfluorooctanic acid was once used in nonstick cookware, carpets, and clothing, and is now present in many public water systems throughout New Jersey. This chemical has been known to cause “100 percent mortality” among rodents used for testing, and is especially toxic for human infants. It has also been linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. The DWQI promised to release their findings after a year-long investigation, but instead held a closed meeting and have now delayed the results. Once the results are out there still must be a 30-day comment period and then the recommendation will be sent to the Christie Administration who has failed to set standards even once they have been recommended by the Institute.
“First the Drinking Water Quality Institute delayed meeting for six years and now they are holding back a report to recommend standards on PFOA. We have waited years for this report to come out and this is directly impacting public health. Not only are they not doing their job, but they continue to stack the industry with polluters. This is part of the Institute’s failure to release standards on other chemicals like PFC, chromium and arsenic. These delays are clearly the Administration siding with polluters and special interests over the environment and public health,” said Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club Director. “PFOA have been found in more than 12 water systems throughout New Jersey and is carcinogenic. We need to set a standard immediately. While we have been waiting, people have been drinking contaminated water.”
The EPA found PFOA and other types of the PFC family of chemicals in 88 New Jersey water systems in 2014-2015. This chemical was found in 12 New Jersey water systems at or above a “guidance” level set by the DEP in 2009. Since the Institute has only met three times in six years, New Jersey has not moved forward on any protective health based standards for drinking water. The failure to move forward has put people and public health at risk. When the Governor first came into office he froze all rules and standards, including those recommended by the Institute. For example, he froze and then rescinded the standard for perchlorate. The Institute was also working on standards for PFNA, PFC, chromium and arsenic, but the DEP has failed to act on some of their recommendations. The then- head of the Institute Mark Robson resigned in protest because the perchlorate standard was delayed and withdrawn.
“The Institute’s failure to release a report on PFOA is long over-due, but even if they release it will the DEP set the standards. We are still waiting for the Christie Administration to act on PFNA, but they have failed to do so. The issue is with the Governor and if the DEP will continue to side with polluters or move forward to protect our drinking water from these hazardous chemicals. By failing to meet over the past few years, the Institute has actually given the Christie Administration cover for not updating standards for drinking water. This is an embarrassment not only to the State of New Jersey, but the people who care about protecting our drinking water,” said Jeff Tittel. “ The Institute also recommended standards for PFNA, but the DEP has failed to adopt them. Given the Christie Administration’s record, once the PFOA report is released, will it even be implemented?”
The Institute is responsible for setting the standards of acceptable limits for toxins and carcinogens in our drinking water. They look at health base risk assessment to ensure that the water we drink is safe. Many of the chemicals they deal with can be linked to birth defects, childhood development like mercury. Before the Christie Administration, the Institute received awards in the past for the work they have done not only saving thousands of lives, but millions of dollars. In the latest years, has been public outcry in places like Paulsboro on this chemical that is suffering from compromised water, but they have failed to take action. Instead they have stacked the Institute with polluters like the recent appointment Salvito, Daniel, Ph.D, Vice President, Environmental Science at the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials who has direct ties to DuPont.
“The Christie Administration has continued to stack the Institute with people who are tied to chemical industry. Their recent appointment is someone who works for the fragrance industry and is tied to DuPont. PFOA has been found in water supplies around the DuPont facility as it is used to make Teflon. Failing to update these standards means we are not cleaning sites up to the level they should be cleaned to and are letting these polluters off the hook. Instead of having an Institute that works to protect public health, they are actually provide green cover for the Christie administration’s roll back to protections for our environment and drinking water,” said Tittel.
The Governor did the real damage on clean water protections when he first came into office and issued Executive Order 2. This called for no rules stricter than federal standards which would impact the regulation of these compounds in our water. New Jersey law requires a one in a million drinking water standard for cancer while the federal limit is one in 10,000 to one in 100,000 depending on the chemical. The Christie administration has not adopted any new standards while in office. These drinking water standards are also used for groundwater and soil for industrial sites. They could also stack the Institute with polluters getting rid of its independence and scientific foundation.
“This administration has had a war on science. They have removed scientists from key positions. The award-winning Division of Science has been downgraded to an Office and a political appointee now heads the Office rather than a scientist. The Science Advisory Board has been stacked with polluters, including DuPont. When the Institute does not meet or make recommendations, the polluters off the hook for paying for cleanup of sites or additional treatment of water supply,” said Jeff Tittel.
This is part of ongoing rollbacks to clean water. DEP’s stormwater management, water quality management planning (WQMP), category one, stream buffers, flood hazard areas, and Highlands regulations have been targeted with the DEP’s proposed rules. The Governor continues to attack the Highlands region, which provides drinking water to 5.4 million people, over half of New Jersey’s residents, and our major economic industries.
“The Christie Administration has given a polluter’s holiday at the expense of our clean water. They have failed to release the science because they rather side with polluters over public health. When agencies do not meet or boards like the Science Advisory Board Agency are stacked with polluters, it has impacts all of us. As long as we ignore science and do not set standards for polluters, chemical companies are not held accountable. The polluters wind up saving money and real people get affected by toxic chemicals in their water supply,” said Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club Director.
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Toni Granato Administrative Assistant New Jersey Sierra Club office:(609) 656-7612 https://www.facebook.com/NJSierraClub @NJSierraClub and @StopPilgrimNYNJ on Twitter