| Ringwood New Jersey Water Is Found Tainted |
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Ringwood New Jersey Water Is Tound Tainted Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Last updated: Tuesday March 17, 2009, 6:08 AM BY BARBARA WILLIAMS NorthJersey.com STAFF WRITER RINGWOOD — Contaminated water is seeping through an old iron mine in the midst of Ford Motor Co.'s former dump site, but more testing is being done to determine the origin of the chemicals, federal officials said. Benzene — found at 26 times the level considered safe — and arsenic — at more than two times higher than standards allow — are 200 feet below ground in the water in the Peters Mine, according to results made public recently at an Upper Ringwood neighborhood meeting. Residents and their advocates, including the environmental group Edison Wetlands Association, said they believe the contamination is from Ford, and are waiting to hear how the company is planning to either contain or clean up the contaminants. "The consistent levels of arsenic and benzene found show that there is contamination in the mine," said Rich Chapin, an environmental engineer and a technical consultant hired by EWA to advise the residents. "At this point, I'm not concerned. But there may be a concern once we hear how it's going to be addressed." Ford representative Jon Holt said the auto company may not be responsible for the contamination for a number of reasons: The company claims arsenic is a byproduct of the former mining activities in the area and the benzene could have come from two other sources. Holt noted that officials from the federal Environmental Protection Agency did admit this latest round of testing was flawed, and some of the benzene could have come from electrical tape that was used on one of the pumps in the investigation. Further testing by Ford's contractor, Arcadis, an international engineering firm with U.S. headquarters in Highlands Ranch, Colo., will be done to eliminate the equipment malfunction, or what is called "cross-contamination." "We also removed some empty underground storage tanks about a year ago that were from the time of World War II when the government was trying to get the mines going again. The benzene might be from them," Holt said Friday. "We're not certain if the contamination came from paint sludge. We need to do more investigating." Many longtime Upper Ringwood residents have said Ford dumped its industrial waste into area mines four decades ago when it unloaded swaths of paint sludge and solvents in their community and Ringwood State Park. Ford has been cleaning this Superfund site for five years now, with the EPA overseeing the work. "I watched them myself. They just poured stuff down those holes," said Jack Walker of Sheehan Drive. Environmentalists and residents question whether the carcinogens are flowing into streams that feed the nearby Wanaque Reservoir, which serves 2 million people. But federal officials say no contamination has shown up in the reservoir's water. Still, the latest findings may indicate the toxic stew left by Ford remains in the aquifer. Arsenic and benzene are linked to lung cancer and skin disorders and may cause brain, liver and kidney damage. Residents said they are eager for additional testing, tentatively scheduled for April, to begin. "We want to know what's down there and how dangerous it is," said resident Jay Van Dunk. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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