FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Ron
Espinoza, USW 615-618-2771
Joe Drexler, USW 615-594-2074
Teflon Chemical Found in New Jersey Elementary School Drinking Water-- Steelworkers and Local Environmental Groups to Call for Action at Tomorrow’s Community Forum
Nashville, Tennessee – January 10, 2007 -Drinking water at Paul W. Carleton elementary school in Penns Grove, New Jersey contains the controversial Teflon chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and other perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) linked to DuPont’s (NYSE: DD) Chambers Works plant, according to the United Steelworkers (USW).
The USW, whose members work at the nearby Chambers Works plant, sampled the Penns Grove elementary school’s water in November after earlier testing in 2006 found the chemicals in the blood of DuPont employees and area drinking water supplies.
“Our latest sample shows that residents and their children are still drinking contaminated water,” said Ron Espinoza, a USW representative. “This is a wake-up call that demands the same kind of action now being taken in other contaminated communities.”
Drinking water in Pennsville, Penns Grove, and Carneys Point, New Jersey was found to be contaminated with PFC’s in separate testing conducted in the spring and summer of 2006 by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, water suppliers, and DuPont.
A lawsuit was filed against DuPont in April on behalf of all individuals who have consumed drinking water for at least one year that has been contaminated with more than 0.05 parts per billion of any one PFC or any combination of PFCs attributable to releases from the Chambers Works plant. The level of combined PFCs found in the school’s water supply totaled .112 parts per billion.
The highest level found in earlier testing of drinking water in the area around the Chambers Works plant was .18 parts per billion of PFOA, sampled from a Penns Grove water supply well. Residents in Ohio and West Virginia whose water was contaminated with PFCs sued DuPont and are receiving comprehensive medical evaluations as a result of a settlement. DuPont is required to provide bottled water or special filters for water systems for many residents with as little as .05 parts per billion of PFOA in their water.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Scientific Advisory Board has recommended PFOA be labeled a likely human carcinogen. Even small amounts of PFOA are a matter of concern because the chemical doesn’t break down in the environment and accumulates in the body.
A coalition of environmental and labor groups including the USW, The New Jersey Environmental Federation, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, New Jersey Work and Environment Council, and the Sierra Club are hosting a community forum at the Carney’s Point YMCA, 7:00 PM, Thursday January 11. Attorneys representing pollution victims will also be present to discuss concerns about PFCs. The press is invited to attend.
The USW is engaging in a nationwide DuPont Accountability Project to inform citizens about DuPont’s operations and challenge the company’s claim that it practices environmental sustainability.
The USW represents 1,800 workers at six DuPont plants, and recently joined with the Sierra Club to form the Blue-Green Alliance.
For further information on DuPont’s health, safety and environmental record, see www.dupontsafetyrevealed.org
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