Sunday, 11 October 2009

Court to Explore S. Jersey Water Safety Public Concerns

by KYW’s Ian Bush

A judge has ruled a class-action lawsuit can proceed against DuPont in South Jersey, where some believe their water has been tainted because of a chemical used to make non-stick Teflon cookware.

The Environmental Protection Agency says there’s no reason for concern when using consumer products, like pans, made with perfluorooctanoic acid.

But they’re still looking into any threat posed by PFOAs that have gotten into the water supply — and what level is safe to drink.

Attorney Stuart Lieberman represents a potential class of 15,000 Penns Grove, Salem County residents, who live near DuPont’s Chambers Works plant:

“People who drank something that they shouldn’t drink, and did so unknowingly, will now have judicial recourse. And, more importantly, they’ll be able to have safer drinking water.”

DuPont says only that they’re reviewing the judge’s decision.

Jeff Tittle is with the Sierra Club:

“No matter what the biostitutes for the other side say, there is really no real safe level of PFOA. It’s a toxin that should be banned.”