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Our Online News Updated 1/17/01! |
 The Concerned Residents of East Fishkill is an organization founded as a result of the contamination discovered in the well water in East Fishkill. In April 2000 New York State Department of Health (DOH) was requested to test the wells on Seymour Lane for tetrachloroethene (PCE) contamination. Of the fourteen houses on the street only four were found to be contaminated; however, the levels of contamination were at least five times the state maximum for safe water prompting the DOH to inform the residents that they "Don't Drink The Water!". Additionally "Don't cook with the water" and "Don't bathe in the water". Residents of Burbank Road insisted that the state also test their area. Of the twelve houses eleven were contaminated and two exceeded the state maximum by at least 100 times. On June 1st New York State Department of Health requested the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide relief to the families effected. EPA sent their Emergency Services Management (ESM) team to the area on June 3rd. ESM arranged for the installation of water coolers and the delivery of drinking water [#1]. The ESM also arranged for the installation of filter systems to remove the contaminants from the well water. As part of the installation EPA/EMS will service the filters (ie test the water and replace the carbon filters for a period of one year) [#2]. A "town meeting" was held at Gayhead Elementary School on June 7th to address the growing concerns of residents. Over three hundred citizens attended this meeting. The DOH and EPA/ESM as well as representatives from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation put on a show. They did not provide a single answer to what their plan was for finding the source of the contamination. They have not ruled out that the contamination could have originate at the East Fishkill IBM facility since this is the only site within twenty miles that uses PCE. By July 23rd the number of wells with PCE, above state maximum, has increased to over fifty. The number of wells in the area with PCE contamination is over one hundred of the one hundred and fifty tested by DOH! EPA/ESM is so busy installing filters that they have not had the time nor the resources to look for the source of the contamination. They along with DOH & DEC continue to reject the idea that IBM is in any way responsible for the contamination. Since there is only one company within twenty miles of these houses that uses PCE (IBM) and only one company (IBM) who in 1979 had a broken underground feeder pipe which "lost" over 150,000 gallons of PCE into the aquifer, and one company (IBM) who , until 1988, was a superfund hazardous waste site, then why would anyone think that they (IBM) might be responsible for the problem. The members of the Concerned Residents of East Fishkill were told by the state assemblyman's office, not to attempt to find the source of the contamination and not to complain because the search for the source seems to be moving too slowly. There will not be another "town meeting" but rather the DEC with notify by mail the residents if any progress is made in finding the source. Since the source of the contamination in East Fishkill in 1981 has not yet been found (see HISTORY) why should we believe they (DOH/DEC/EPA) could find them now? It was the DEC who, at the meeting, told us that the groundwater flows to the Northeast; therefore, since we live to the Southeast of IBM, the contamination could not have come from there. DEC was passing information on that had been given them by the consulting firms hired by IBM to help identify the area & extent of the contamination. Is this the fox watching the hen house or what? #1 The use of the water coolers was only until the filters were in place and tested. They were removed on July 31st. Some residents have contracted with the company to retain the coolers. The cost, borne by the homeowner, is $10 per month for the cooler & $5 per 5 gallon bottle of water. A family of four, using the water for drinking and cooking will consume 15 bottles per month leaving the out of pocket cost at $1000 per year. #2 After one year it becomes the responsibility of the home owner to test the water and replace the filters as needed. The water test is $150 per occurrence & the filter replaces costs about $300 per occurrence. The annual maintenance cost per household is estimated to be $1000. "There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end they always fall - - think of it, ALWAYS" - Ghandi. |