Tom, The little bit of good news, for us at least, is that the PFOA and PFOS chemicals in this case are polluting Dalton, GA, a major center of the carpet industry in the US, and not Dalton, NY. The very bad news is that regardless of the community, if the chemical pollutants aren't PFOAs or PFOSs, they are something else, like TES here in Ithaca. George Frantz.
--- On Tue, 10/13/09, Thomas Shelley <[email protected]> wrote: From: Thomas Shelley <[email protected]> Subject: [SustainableTompkins] Fwd: [GreenYes] Chemicals Found in Dalton, GA Compost To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 4:01 AM Dear Friends--The synthetic chemicals we are dumping into the environment are slowly poisoning us all.... From the GreenYes mailing list. Tom > Chemicals found in Dalton compost > > > > Friday, October 9, 2009 > [] > > By: > <http://timesfreepress.com/staff/pam-sohn/>Pam Sohn > (<http://timesfreepress.com/staff/pam-sohn/contact/>Contact) > > Sampling done this summer by Dalton Utilities found emerging-risk chemicals > known as PFOA and PFOS in compost made at the utility's wastewater treatment > plant and sold to the public. > > The samples, requested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and taken > at the utility's 9,800-acre Looper's Bend plant, also found the chemicals in > the wastewater effluent, sludge, soil and groundwater, as well as in the > adjacent Conasauga River and Holly Creek, according to the EPA. > > In a separate survey, the compounds also were detected by Dalton Utilities in > a number of private local wells. Only one well had levels high enough to > prompt the utility to supply the resident with bottled water. > > "EPA is concerned about PFOA and PFOS," said Gail Mitchell, deputy director > of EPA's water protection division, during a teleconference call Thursday > announcing the "emerging issue." > > She added that Dalton Utilities has not violated any permit conditions or > regulations by not monitoring in the past for the compounds. There are no > regulations requiring the sampling EPA recently requested from the utility, > she said. > > Don Cope, Dalton Utilities CEO, said Dalton's water supply is safe, and the > utility is cooperating with EPA to study the emerging concerns. > > "Dalton Utilities' actions since the time we've been asked to sample have > been both aggressive and proper," he said. "Have we created a water quality > issue? At this point, we don't think we have." > > PFOA, or C8, is the shortened name for perfluorooctanoic acid, while PFOS is > perfluorooctane sulfonate. Both are synthetic compounds that have been used > by the carpet industry to make carpet stain-resistant. > > Scientific studies have shown them to be linked with low birth weights and > other developmental problems in mice. In 2006, the Science Advisory Board of > the EPA declared the chemical "a likely human carcinogen." > > Ms. Mitchell said EPA has formalized its investigation and has required > Dalton Utilities to submit a study plan in 30 days and to submit the results > of all further sampling to EPA within five days. > > About 80 million pounds of Dalton Utilities compost made from the wastewater > biosolids have been composed and sold to businesses and the public since > 2003, she said. > > "Dalton Utilities ceased its distribution of the compost in July 2009 after > receiving data indicating elevated levels of PFCs in the compost," Ms. > Mitchell said. > > The EPA has not established safe levels for the compounds in compost, she > said. > > Dalton Utilities will test certain sites where the compost was added to the > soil to determine the risk of the compounds migrating to drinking water > wells, she said. > > Mr. Cope, who participated in a teleconference with EPA about the issue, said > the Dalton sampling numbers are lower than the average amount of the compound > already found by some studies to be in many people's blood. > > Carpet industry officials have told him they no longer are using the > chemicals, which were manufactured by DuPont and also have been used in > making nonstick cookware and water-proof clothing, he said. > > Wastewater effluent still showing levels of the suspicious compounds may be > the result of the chemicals continuing to leach out of wastewater pipelines, > he said. > > However, the utility may conduct surprise sampling in the waste streams of > some of the carpet plants, he said. > > PFOA and PFOS concerns > > * Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as "C8," is a synthetic chemical > that does not occur naturally in the environment. EPA has been investigating > PFOA and its compounds because: > > * It causes developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.. > > * In 2006, the Science Advisory Board of the EPA declared it "a likely human > carcinogen." > > * It is found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of > the general U.S. population. > > * It remains in people and the environment for a long time. > > Source: EPA > > EPA actions > > * January 2006 -- EPA asked eight companies in the industry to commit to > reducing PFOA from facility emissions and product content by 95 percent no > later than 2010, and to work toward eliminating PFOA from emissions and > product content no later than 2015. > > * 2006 -- The Science Advisory Board of the EPA declared PFOA "a likely human > carcinogen." > > * January 2009 -- EPA provided a provisional health advisory that established > a guideline level for sampling of PFOA and PFOS. > > * September 2009 -- EPA included PFOA compounds on list of 104 chemical > contaminants to be considered for regulation. At least five will be > regulated, officials said. > > Source: EPA > <http://timesfreepress.com/news/2009/oct/09/chemicals-found-in-dalton-compost/>http://timesfreepress.com/news/2009/oct/09/chemicals-found-in-dalton-compost/ ****************************************** Tom Shelley 118 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607 342-0864 [email protected] Learn more about the Sustainable Chicken Project at http://steephollowfarm.wordpress.com/ http://www.myspace.com/99319958 (Last updated 6/13/09.) http://www.facebook.com/129295929#/home.php (Last updated 6/13/09.) Compost Educator and Sustainability Scion* What Does Zero Waste Mean? "If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned, or removed from production." Berkeley Zero Waste Resolution See http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council8/newsletter.pdf *noun: a shoot or bud of a plant, esp. one for planting or grafting _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
