NJ sues Dow, others over widespread possible cancer-causing chemical in drinking water
New Jersey sued chemical giant Dow and other companies Thursday, saying a potentially cancer-causing chemical they've manufactured, promoted and sold for decades is so prevalent in New Jersey it can be found from the mountains of Ringwood to wells in Fair Lawn and drinking water pulled from the Delaware River.
Dow, along with Ferro Corporation and Vulcan Materials Company, made or sold 1,4-dioxane knowing that it would “significantly pollute drinking water supplies, render drinking water unusable and unsafe, threaten the public health and welfare, and harm other natural resources," the lawsuit alleges.
Rachelle Schikorra, a Dow spokeswoman, said the company is aware of the lawsuit but could not comment at this time.
1,4-dioxane is considered a "likely human carcinogen" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that can also cause other ailments during prolonged exposure. It is a byproduct found in consumer goods such as paint strippers, dyes, greases and antifreeze, along with deodorants, shampoos and cosmetics.
Deception about 1,4-dioxane's safety
The lawsuit said the companies deceived distributors and consumers about the chemical's safety and instructed them to dispose of products containing 1,4-dioxane by "simply pouring them on the ground or burying them."
"The costs of cleaning up this forever chemical should be borne by the defendants in this lawsuit, not New Jersey taxpayers," Matthew Platkin, the state attorney general, said in a statement.
In groundwater near Ringwood Superfund site
1,4-dioxane gained attention in New Jersey seven years ago when it was found in groundwater at the Ford Superfund site near an Upper Ringwood neighborhood. Its discovery led many residents to call for an overhaul of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed cleanup of the Superfund site where paint sludge and other contaminants dumped by Ford contractors a half-century ago contaminated the area.
As testing for the chemical increased, water utilities across New Jersey began discovering it in their drinking water supplies. They have spent millions trying to remove it.
In Fair Lawn wells
In Fair Lawn, the EPA unveiled a $19.5 million plan in 2018 to expand three existing pump-and-treat systems at the Westmoreland Well Field to remove several chemicals including 1,4-dioxane. The move happened two years after Fair Lawn officials discovered high levels of 1,4-dioxane came back and shut down four of the borough's 16 wells.
South Jersey drinking water affected
In South Jersey, New Jersey American Water recently spent $2.5 million to upgrade its water treatment plant to remove 1,4,-dioxane after it was found two years ago in samples from its water source: the Delaware River. The plant supplies 40 million gallons of river water daily for use by hundreds of thousands of customers in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ sues over chemical 1,4 dioxane in drinking water
