New Jersey Coalition Calls for Investigation of Private Wells to Protect Families from PFOA in Drin...( - Community groups react to news ...),Health

- Community groups react to news that DuPont's Teflon chemicals likely contaminate area residential wells. Eight of nine DuPont monitoring wells exceeded New Jersey's 'alert level.'

- Private residential well contamination with PFOA reported by NJDEP.

- Testing demanded of all private drinking water wells and warnings issued to residents in towns adjacent to DuPont because of high levels of PFOA.

DEEPWATER, N.J., June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of environmental and labor groups are calling for the testing of private drinking water wells in four towns near DuPont's Chambers Works facility in Deepwater, N.J. They are concerned about the possible presence of the dangerous Teflon chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).

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The coalition's call for testing of private wells by DuPont follows the company's disclosure to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) that its groundwater monitoring wells showed contamination levels which exceeded the State of New Jersey's "alert level."

"Those whose drinking water comes from private wells have the right to know if they are drinking PFOA contaminated water," said Jane Nogaki, Vice Chair of NJ Environmental Federation. "Of particular concern are wells serving families with pregnant women and small children," she said noting a study of PFOA contamination of newborns released by Johns Hopkins Medical School in 2007.

"DuPont's sampling results, along with the NJDEP's information of private well contamination raises the possibility that up to 750 private residential drinking water wells in Salem County may suffer from PFOA contamination," said Shawn Gilchrist of the United Steelworkers Union.

Groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the near
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