Debate Continues Over Investigation Of Water Contaminants

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council granted a federal agency the ability to fully investigate a superfund site in Cinnaminson, even as the debate continued as to which contaminants are being investigated Monday night.

Council approved a resolution to allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) access to a sewage pumping station where a deep well will be installed and from which water samples will be taken with a 5-0 vote. The resolution also allows the EPA access to township property as a temporary staging facility for EPA's work.

"In addition to generally facilitating a better scientific understanding of the superfund site impacts to groundwater, EPA's efforts will help identify whether the Cinnaminson Superfund Site is a source of certain contaminants that have been, and continue to be, treated at a Moorestown water treatment plant so that residents continue to receive safe/clean water," according to the resolution.

Resident Mike Babcock noted that during the Sept. 24 council meeting, Councilman Mike Locatell said that the EPA was investigating whether 123 trichloropropane (123 TCP) that was found in Moorestown’s drinking water dating back to 2013 came from this site. That is not the case, though.

The EPA is currently working on the cleanup of a superfund site that covers about 400 acres of land in Cinnaminson and Delran, according to the EPA's website.

According to the EPA website, contaminants including vinyl chloride, 1, 2- dichloroethane, PCE, TCE, cis-1, 2-dichloroethene (cis-1, 2-DCE), benzene and arsenic were found in the groundwater, soil and soil vapor at the site in the early 1980s.

On Monday night, township officials said they approached the EPA about investigating 123 TCP as one of the contaminants, but that ultimately, it wouldn’t be included in the investigation.

“I wasn’t at the meeting, and I thought Tom said they would be investigating 123 TCP,” Locatell said Monday night.

He called it a miscommunication. Former Township Manager Tom Merchel and Mayor Stacey Jordan were among those in attendance at the meeting Locatell referenced.

“He said 123 TCP was being investigated, and no one up there who was at the meeting corrected him,” Babcock said to council Monday night.

The subject arose during the Sept. 24 meeting when Babcock was talking about putting out an RFQ to find someone to track down whoever was responsible for contaminating Moorestown’s water, and Locatell mentioned the investigation of the superfund site in Cinnaminson. On Monday, Babcock pointed out that there is a superfund site in Moorestown that isn’t being investigated.

Township officials emphasized that the township has been focusing on cleaning the township’s water and pursuing those responsible for the contamination at a later time.

Locatell previously said the township wanted to finish the water upgrades, figure out how much it cost and then pursue those responsible. Babcock has suggested that if the conclusion of the lawsuit should come before upgrades are complete, they could leave the number open ended and collect once they know the final total cost.

Work to clean the water and upgrade plants is expensive. Documents show the total cost of the project to upgrade the North Church Street Water Treatment Plant currently stands at $18,652,882. The preliminary cost estimate when the project was first presented to the public in 2016 was about $7 million.

“Your emphasis has gone from wanting clean water to wanting to paying for it,” Locatell said to Babcock.
“You said you’d go out for an RFQ last year at this time, and nothing ever happened,” Babcock responded.

Deputy Mayor Manny Delgado said the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) asked them to hold off until an MCL was established for the previously unregulated contaminant. The state set an MCL of 30 parts per trillion (PPT) in September of this year.

“DEP has a record of spills everywhere,” Babcock said, adding that they could investigate every TCE spill in the area and narrow it down. Officials said that would cost too much money and consume a lot of time.

“It’s better to narrow your focus,” Township Manager Tom Neff said. “This is the first step.”

Neff said the statute of limitations for pursuing a lawsuit against those responsible doesn’t kick in until the responsible party is identified.

Officials said the EPA’s project would come at minimal effect to the residents in the area, as testing would take place over a two-day period, during the day.

“We’re working with the EPA to minimize the impact on the residents,” Neff said.

For more on the cleanup of the Cinnaminson Superfund site, visit epa.gov.

See related:
Are Moorestown Water Contaminants Coming From Cinnaminson Site?
Moorestown Reaches Deal With New Jersey American To Cap Water Spending, Save About $1 Million
Moorestown Closes Two Water Wells To Evaluate Unregulated Contaminant
Moorestown Takes First Step Toward Permanent Solution For Water Issues
Moorestown Water Upgrade Project 7 Months Behind
NJDEP Approval Puts Moorestown On Path To Water Treatment
Moorestown Council Accepts NJDEP Consent Order; Calls It 'Path Forward'
Moorestown Enters Into Amended Consent Order For Water Treatment

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