Sunday, January 10, 2016

WI should pay attention to W. VA water poisoning expose

[10:39 p.m. update. The water works in West Bend, WI is on the list, according to this source.]

You will want to read the stunning Sunday magazine cover story in Sunday's New York Times about, the Dupont company's "exposing thousands of West Virginians to a chemical its scientists knew to be toxic." 

The chemical, known as PFOA, was used in the production of Teflon since 1951. 

Said a box quote in big bold lettering accompanying the story:
In total, 70,000 people were drinking poisoned water. Some had been doing so for decades.
Please note three more things as you consider the story and the bigger water pollution picture here:

*  Don't say to yourself that PFOA in the water is someone else's problem far from Wisconsin, because the story includes a chart listing 27 other states with water systems known to also carry PFOA above what is scientifically called an "approximate safe level"  - -and Wisconsin is on the list, with an estimated 30,100 people thusly exposed. 


Who and where are they? 

UPDATE: West Bend.

Who has known about this in Wisconsin, and for how long, and, most importantly, who's addressing it?

*  Again - - don't say to yourself, well, that's Dupont and West Virginia after all. Remember this recent disclosure about Wisconsin waters with chemical pollution that effects an estimated 94,000 state households: 
Nitrate in Wisconsin Water Widespread, Current Rules No Match For It
According to state estimates, nitrate is at unsafe levels in an estimated 94,000 Wisconsin households. One in five wells in heavily agricultural areas is now too polluted with nitrate for safe drinking, according to data from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection... 
“Nitrate that approaches and exceeds unsafe levels in drinking water is one of the top drinking water contaminants in Wisconsin, posing an acute risk to infants and women who are pregnant, a possible risk to the developing fetus during very early stages of pregnancy, and a chronic risk of serious disease in adults,” according to the 2015 Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council report to the Legislature. 
The multi-agency council also reported that nitrate — one of the most widespread groundwater contaminants in Wisconsin — is “increasing in extent and severity.” 
*  Final thought. Flint, MI is not an isolated crisis.


2 comments:

Where's the ethics? said...

Another Erin Brockovich story.

This is absolutely outrageous. The CEO should be sent to a maximum security prison for crimes against humanity until every personal injury lawsuit is settled.

Thank you for that post, James.

Unknown said...

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