CONTAMINATION OF N.J. DRINKING WATER

[Anonymous]

Lawsuit Alleges DuPont Contamination of N.J. Drinking Water
April  2006
DOVER, Del. – Drinking water supplies near a DuPont facility in New
Jersey have been contaminated with chemicals, including a suspected
carcinogen used in the production of Teflon, according to a federal
lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The
lawsuit alleges that the contamination is linked to the manufacturing,
use and disposal of perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA, at
DuPont’s Chambers Works plant in Salem County, N.J.PFOA, or
perfluorooctanoic acid, is a processing aid used in the manufacturing
of fluoropolymers, which have a wide variety of product applications,
including nonstick cookware. The chemical also can be a byproduct in
the manufacturing of fluorotelomers used in surface protection products
for applications such as stain-resistant textiles and grease-resistant
food wrappers.The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status and
compensatory and punitive damages for what they describe as the
“intentional, knowing, reckless and negligent acts and omissions of
DuPont in connection with the contamination of human drinking water
supplies.”In a statement, DuPont said the lawsuit, filed in U.S.
District Court in New Jersey, is without merit.”We are confident in the
safety of our operations at our Chambers Works site,” the company
said.According to the lawsuit, DuPont has known for years that PFOA was
being released into the air from operations and activities at the
Chambers Works Plant, and was contaminating the groundwater underneath.
A
2003 report by DuPont found that PFOA was being released into the
Delaware River at concentrations as high as 194 parts per billion, and
had been detected in a water intake for Salem Canal, designated as a
drinking water source by New Jersey environmental regulators, at a
concentration of .089 ppb, according to the complaint.
In 2004,
DuPont agreed to pay as much as $343 million to settle a class-action
lawsuit filed by Ohio and West Virginia residents who alleged that
their water supplies had been contaminated with PFOA from a DuPont
plant in Parkersburg, W.Va.The company agreed to spend up to $70
million for medical evaluations of up to 80,000 people who drank water
contaminated with the chemical. DuPont also agreed to provide six local
utilities with new water treatment equipment and fund an independent
study to determine if PFOA makes people sick.
DuPont could be forced to spend another $235 million on a program to monitor the health of residents exposed to the chemical.

[Author]

April 24, 2006 at 9:58 AM