DuPont contaminated groundwater

[NJmike PE]

http://www.my9nj.com/story/24882481/pompton-lakes-toxicity-affecting-homeowners

http://www.epa.gov/Region2/waste/dupont_pompton/index.html

This is a sensitive topic as this is my hometown and I know of people who became sick and died. Very disturbing.

 

[NJmike PE]

I know a family who lost both parents to cancer-related illnesses, years apart. And you could see the DuPont factory from their front yard. In fact, all you needed to do was cross a fence and you were on the DuPont property.

 

[mudpuppy]

New Jersey has licensed professional geologists?

 

[NJmike PE]

No. As far as I know, they do not license geologists. I believe the news channel contacted one for an "unofficial" opinion.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I didn't think lead and mercury caused cancer.....

 

[NJmike PE]

I'm sure that there illnesses were unofficially linked to the contamination, however given how close then lived to the source and the scores of others who have gotten sick I cannot discount the fact that they are somehow.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Can't discount it, but you can't say it is, either.

When I see things like that, I figure there is a lawyer behind a class action lawsuit looking for a fat settlement.

 

[NJmike PE]

Maybe, but it clear that both lead and mercury consumption do have caused adverse affects in humans.

http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/lead.html

Lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal and cardiovascular systems.

http://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htm

For fetuses, infants, and children, the primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological development. Methylmercury exposure in the womb, which can result from a mother's consumption of fish and shellfish that contain methylmercury, can adversely affect a baby's growing brain and nervous system. Impacts on cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills have been seen in children exposed to methylmercury in the womb. Recent human biological monitoring by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999 and 2000 (PDF) (3 pp., 42 KB, About PDF) shows that most people have blood mercury levels below a level associated with possible health effects. More recent data from the CDC support this general finding.

Outbreaks of methylmercury poisonings have made it clear that adults, children, and developing fetuses are at risk from ingestion exposure to methylmercury. During these poisoning outbreaks some mothers with no symptoms of nervous system damage gave birth to infants with severe disabilities, it became clear that the developing nervous system of the fetus may be more vulnerable to methylmercury than is the adult nervous system.

I'd say that this is grounds for more than just the assumption of a lawyer behind a class action lawsuit looking for a fat settlement.

It should also be noted that in both linked pages, human exposure to any form of either mercury or lead, human data is limited in both but it has been linked to increase in tumors for animal testings.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

No, I know lead and mercury are bad for you; no link with cancer, though.

I'm still going with greedy lawyer. I've seen that play soooo many times in the past.

From: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24882481/pompton-lakes-toxicity-affecting-homeowners

A group of residents in Pompton Lakes are conducting an independent property value survey of local homes because they say that the toxic legacy of DuPont and the contamination “plume” that has affected 540 residences, has devastated their health and the value of their homes.

Most homeowners are stating that they’re having difficulty, and that their home value has declined significantly.

I'd like to see the source document for this:

The former site caused a vapor intrusion of cancer causing chemicals. According to the Department of Health, in 2011 it was reported that Pompton Lakes residents were 38% more likely to develop certain types of cancer.

Wonder what they are.

 

[NJmike PE]

No, I know lead and mercury are bad for you; no link with cancer, though.

I'm still going with greedy lawyer. I've seen that play soooo many times in the past.

From: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24882481/pompton-lakes-toxicity-affecting-homeowners

While I do agree that the involvement of a lawyer relative to a fat settlement CAS, I still believe that the root her is that DuPont F@$%ed up and now it needs to be remediated and of course compensation is due to those whom they adversely affected.

A group of residents in Pompton Lakes are conducting an independent property value survey of local homes because they say that the toxic legacy of DuPont and the contamination “plume” that has affected 540 residences, has devastated their health and the value of their homes.

Most homeowners are stating that they’re having difficulty, and that their home value has declined significantly.

I'd like to see the source document for this:

Although I don't have any source document to support this, to me it's more than clear that the home values would drop. One, the seller is required to disclose the on-going remediation process, which in most cases is occurring on-site in the basement. Two, who in their right mind wouldn't attempt to take advantage of or be sketchy of the fact that a home is located in an groundwater contaminated area. Speaking from my personal knowledge of the community, it is a close-knit, residential community which prior to this incident, is prime for young families to raise their children in. The fact that some of the contaminants are linked to miscarriages, birth defects, etc. is another reason for people to stay away. All perfectly good reasons for a sharp decline in property values.

The former site caused a vapor intrusion of cancer causing chemicals. According to the Department of Health, in 2011 it was reported that Pompton Lakes residents were 38% more likely to develop certain types of cancer.

Wonder what they are.

As would I.

 

[snickerd3]

vapor intrusion wouldn't be lead or mercury. that would be the volatile nastiness like chlorinated solvents. Benzene is also nasty but doesn't usually hang around unless there is free product in the plume.

seeing as it is dupont though id wager more for the chlorinated stuff.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Didn't they know the plant was there when they bought their houses?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

seeing as it is dupont though id wager more for the chlorinated stuff.

I don't think so for explosives. That's what's throwing me. Aside from things that go boom, explosive production uses pretty benign stuff, from what I recall.

 

[NJmike PE]

Didn't they know the plant was there when they bought their houses?

maybe, but I'm sure that they expect this mess to occur

 

[snickerd3]

most people don't think about things like that...until stuff like this happens. If the plant was there first then the land was already discounted and they got a deal. It just sucks for them now since they have a PR issue that makes no one want to even look at the area.

 

[snickerd3]

seeing as it is dupont though id wager more for the chlorinated stuff.

I don't think so for explosives. That's what's throwing me. Aside from things that go boom, explosive production uses pretty benign stuff, from what I recall.

nope. depending on what explosives they are making it can be pretty nasty. Is that was dupont made there?

 

[snickerd3]

It's not necessaril;y the explosives themselves but handling of the individual components to make the explosives.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

seeing as it is dupont though id wager more for the chlorinated stuff.

I don't think so for explosives. That's what's throwing me. Aside from things that go boom, explosive production uses pretty benign stuff, from what I recall.

nope. depending on what explosives they are making it can be pretty nasty. Is that was dupont made there?

Carcinogenic, though? I know they use toxic stuff, but carcinogens...don't recall that.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Didn't they know the plant was there when they bought their houses?

maybe, but I'm sure that they expect this mess to occur

That's on them. You see a factory, you think, hmmmm....might not be great to live near. For all kinds of reasons.

 

[envirotex]

chlorinated solvents...it's in the reports.

subsurface source, dissolves in ground water, constituents volatilize from groundwater, results in gases that can penetrate slabs, or basements or whatever

it may not even be related to any illegal activity just because of the way that these chemicals used to handled. they were used for degreasing and cleaning equipment, machines, and manufactured parts. when the solvents were filled with gunk (other stuff that you don't want to get on you) after being recycled several times, the accepted practice was to dispose of them in unlined pits. disposal requirements changed, but not before lots of damage was done.