Now compare that weak PR to my blog, where I specifically rebut the same corporate spin the reporter swallowed wholesale (and ask the Johanna people some tough questions):

Gov. Christie Inaugural - just who and what did he swear to protect?

Don’t let Sarah Palin and her Teabagging Death Panels get wind of it, but it’s Official:

After prudent deliberation, the Christie DEP just decided that your life is worth less than $404,103.

Impossible? Hardly.

The DEP itself highlighted the point in explaining why DEP had refused to set a drinking water standard for radioactive contamination:

“The state should not be sitting on this information,” said Bill Wolfe, a former DEP official who is the group’s New Jersey director. “Officials need to warn affected homeowners that they may need treatment systems or that they have the wrong systems.”

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna rejected the suggestion that the agency has been sitting on the information. The report was part of an ongoing process, with information posted on the DEP website, while the private well data results from a state law, he said.

“We definitely know there’s a problem,” he said. “We’re developing this information and working to protect the public.”

He pointed to the report’s cost-benefit analyses for various levels of stringency. The 800 picocurie standard would cost an estimated $404,103 per life saved.

[click on for full story: “Radiation rampant in New Jersey well water“]

Since his first day in Office, when Governor Christie signed Executive Order #2, which, among other things, mandated that cost benefit analysis (CBA) be applied to all DEP regulations, we have been writing to warn the public about how that would undermine protection of their health and environment.

Those warnings have been completely ignored by not only the press, but by NJ’s environmental advocates.

Worse, some so called advocates, including but not limited to Dave Pringle of the NJ Environmental Federation, have actually praised the Governor for his cost benefit analysis policy and welcomed its implementation at DEP.

Well, now that DEP itself has confirmed the use of CBA and illustrated the real consequences of what had previously been largely my theoretical critique of what CBA means, perhaps those folks might reconsider.

Let me be blunt here: DEP says they would rather knowingly let you die a painful death of cancer, than require treatment to remove radiation from your drinking water if it costs more than $404,103.

At a 70 year lifespan (the exposure time-frame used for DEP risk assessments), that amounts to just $15.81 per day, or 66 cents per hour!

That’s not even close to minimum wage, dude!

Talk about Death Panels.

It Can’t Happen Here

[Update: 7/29/10 – this is practically the only “water quality” story written in NJ and first of all, it has very little to do with water quality, and nothing to do with coastal or ocean ecosystem health. Second, I blame the enviro’s as much as the press for letting this one misleading story dominate the coverage of the issue – and note the misplaced accountability focus on the counties, not DEP and EPA. That is pure politics : N.J counties delaying warnings, closures for beaches tested for poor water quality”

Hit Links for stories you can’t read in NJ papers, about problems that don’t exist in your backyard, that don’t affect your health, and that have long ago been solved by NJ’s cracker jack DEP  and forward thinking  Legislature and Governor-

Special Report: Delaware Drinking Water at Risk

What you haven’t been told about chemicals polluting the aquifer that serves Del., Md., N.J.

Delaware Drinking Water at Risk: Polluters pay for testing, leaving public in dark

Johanna Farms, Flemington NJ Plant – didn’t smell Dairy Fresh

Woke up to a spectacular crisp and cool morning after the 100 degree heat and humidity broke. I felt so good I thought I’d boogie up the road to Flemington for a bagel and coffee.

Just as I hit the Flemington border on Rt. 31 I was overcome by a strong rank odor.

Leaving the bagel store, I met a man who worked for the Raritan sewer authority and asked him if his plant was having problems.

He laughed and said they were getting hundreds of complaints, but it wasn’t them – it was Johanna Farms just down the road (behind the car dealers on the western side of Rt. 31).

The Johanna Farms plant has a history of plant upsets that have caused major sickening odor and air problems. They discharge yogurt and juice waste residuals to on site disposal lagoons. They process the sludge and ship it off site for disposal on agricultural lands. Land application of this sludge on farmland has created local controversies due to strong odors, including in my town of West Amwell. (and this)

The Johanna plant also uses extraordinarily hazardous chemicals, and is regulated under the DEP Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act permit program.

The smell was so disgusting, I called the DEP Hotline (877-WARNDEP) to report a violation of the NJ Air Pollution Control Act. That law prohibits nuisance odors beyond the facility boundary.

In this case, the air for miles around was polluted with the stench of anaerobic decaying organic matter. I assume there must be similar local health laws regulating odors from this facility that need to be enforced.

Not confident that DEP would do anything to enforce the law and DEP air and water permits, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I drove to the plant and asked at the security gate for a meeting with the plant environmental manager.

I was given the phone number of Plant Environmental Compliance Manager Joe Saracini (908-788-2385). I called Joe. Shortly after he returned my call and I was able to get a good half hour discussion with Joe and the Company VP. [Correction – it is Tony Saracini. – I got his name mixed up with VP Joe (see comments for contact info). Thanks for comments John – that’s what they’re there for!!]

Initially, Joe tried to give me a BS story to downplay the problem.

Joe  claimed that 1) the problem was natural and caused by the heat wave; 2) that they were simply treating yogurt and juice byproduct in lagoons with swimming pool chemicals; and 3) that they were in compliance with all permits and laws.

[Update: to clarify, Johanna’s claims are flat out false: 1) the problem is not natural, but is caused by a waste treatment process at an industrial plant; 2) the lagoon contents are not “byproducts” they are regulated wastes. The “pool chemicals” used to treat these wastes are hazardous (NaOH); and 3) the facility is in violation of state law, DEP regulations, DEP permits, and perhaps local health ordinances.]

I called them on that and in so doing I learned that they were experiencing an upset in the pre-treatment process and waste lagoons. The lagoons had gone or were going anaerobic and were not responding to aeration and chemical treatments to stabilize the pH.

After persistent questioning, they conceded that they made a $5 million investment in a new pre-treatment, aeration, and lagoon processing system 10 years ago in response to DEP requirements after a catastrophic tank collapse, followed by a power outage. That event created anaerobic conditions and severe odor problems.

They also admitted that they had odor problems last year and that the most recent problem was ongoing and had begun last week.

The odors caused numerous complaints from nearby residents that led to plant inspections but no enforcement actions by the Hunterdon County and Flemington Health Departments. They said that DEP has not been to the facility to inspect or enforce.

I requested that they give me a specific plan to remedy the problem and a schedule – they refused to provide this info but said they had retained engineering consultants to answer those questions.

I thanked them for their cooperation and then called DEP Air enforcement to relay this information and request inspection and enforcement action.

I gotta tell you, their seeming inability to understand and appropriately manage a biological process in a lagoon did not inspire confidence that they can safely handle extraordinarily hazardous chemicals that can kill nearby residents.

We will keep you posted in terms of DEP and local enforcement response and whether the problem gets fixed quickly.

I really feel bad for anyone that lives nearby that stench.

thats a groundwater monitoring well in the foreground and construction and demolition waste (illegal) storage in the background. Let’s hope DEP inspectors cite them for this violation.

Dairy Fresh?

view from the security gate – tanks in background

Increased Health Risks and Chronic DEP Failure To Enact Protections cries out for media, citizen and legislative intervention

[Update: 7/27/10 – Joe Tyrrel of NJNewsroom writes a good story “Radioactivity rampant in New Jersey well water” – I can’t believe that DEP chose to point out the cost benefit analysis- I guess the Christie people have no moral qualms with trading off hundreds of lives lost in horrible cancer deaths for a few pennies a day:

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna rejected the suggestion that the agency has been sitting on the information. The report was part of an ongoing process, with information posted on the DEP website, while the private well data results from a state law, he said.

“We definitely know there’s a problem,” he said. “We’re developing this information and working to protect the public.”

He pointed to the report’s cost-benefit analyses for various levels of stringency. The 800 picocurie standard would cost an estimated $404,103 per life saved.

[7/26/10 correction: I shouldn’t have said DEP has done nothing. You see, they had the balls to fine Pemberton $4,500 for failing to provide timely notification to DEP for one well- while at the same time DEP does not disclose and covers up a statewide problem impacting thousands of wells used by over 1 million NJ residents.

And way back in 2004, under real leadership, DEP did try to get the word out – but take a look at this DEP Guidance and note by how much current data exceeds the risks then presented. Risk are FAR greater.

And its been no secret among experts for a long time – see this 1998 USGS study – but what explains the low news coverage? Compare the sparse news coverage these significant risks with the massive media coverage of the nuke plant tritium leaks]

(Intro Note to readers: aside from criticisms of the annual DEP Private Well Testing Act Reports (and see this ), we have not done a lot of work on the drinking water program. But we decided to take a closer look at DEP’s drinking water program because the Christie Administration decided to attack drinking water regulations in Executive Order #2. We do not like what we see. We also note that environmental activist Dave Pringle of NJEF is no longer the Chair of the Health Effects Committee of the Drinking Water Quality Institute, so a voice for the public interest from the inside has been lost, thus heightening the need for outside public scrutiny. The DWQI Chair resigned, members have not been appointed, and the DWQI is in disarray. This is occurring as science finds increasing risks from hundreds of unregulated toxic pollutants in the water supply, toxic sites are not cleaned up, infrastructure deficits grow, and over-development continues to pollute even more NJ water supply waters).

It is fair to say that NJ’s drinking water program is broken and in need of outside intervention, having proven incapable of responding to chronic problems and increasing public health risks.

In March, we disclosed the fact that DEP Commissioner Martin killed a proposed new drinking water standard for perchlorate (see: CHRISTIE DEEP-SIXES NEW JERSEY PERCHLORATE STANDARD – Red Tape Review Runs Out Clock on Rocket Fuel in Drinking Water Limit)

We later exposed documents that proved that Martin’s explanation for why he killed the perchlorate standard was false (see: RATIONALE FOR NEW JERSEY WATER QUALITY DELAY IS BOGUS – Commissioner Claim of Imminent EPA Perchlorate Action Contradicted by E-Mails

Exposing even greater risks that were being ignored by DEP, in May, we disclosed that DEP had failed to update and lower many standards recommended by scientists:

TIGHTER NEW JERSEY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS IN OBLIVION Drinking Water Institute Chair Resigns in Frustration; Successor to be Announced

Trenton – A five-year effort to update limits on more than 30 contaminants commonly found in New Jersey’s drinking water appears to be doomed by the anti-regulatory stance of the Christie administration, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). As a result, New Jersey residents will continue to be exposed to chemicals ranging from benzene to formaldehyde in amounts that its expert Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI) has found unsafe. (link to full report)

We now report that DEP is not warning the public about risks, setting standards, and mandating treatment systems be installed for some radioactive contaminants known to be present at unsafe levels in thousands of NJ wells.

Just like perchlorate and more than a dozen other toxic chemicals, more than a year and a half later, DEP still has not acted on a February 2009 recommendation by the NJ Drink Water Quality Institute that DEP adopt a standard for radon 222.

DEP is aware of risks associated with uranium and ineffective treatments systems homeowners may be relying on, yet have not provided warnings or regulations to reduce these risks.

Below is some prior coverage we generated previously. But despite these exposes, nothing has changed at DEP – in fact, the problems at DEP have gotten worse and the risk to the public have increased. This is an unacceptable situation that cries out for media, citizen and legislative, intervention to demand reforms:

[7/26/10 correction: I shouldn’t have said DEP has done nothing. You see, they had the balls to fine Pemberton $4,500 for failing to provide timely notification to DEP for one well- while at the same time DEP does not disclose and cover up a statewide problem impacting thousands of wells used by over 1 million NJ residents]

N.J. finds many private wells contaminated
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20080829_N_J__finds_many_private_wells_contaminated.html

Contaminants found in 300 Morris wells
NJ study finds 1 in 8 private wells contaminated
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/UPDATES01/80828005/1005/NEWS01

State: 1 in 8 private wells contaminated
Officials urge more testing
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/NEWS03/808280507/1007
The story has gained national attention also. See:
Radioactivity, Arsenic Contaminate New Jersey Drinking Water
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2008/2008-08-28-093.asp

Drink at your own risk
Posted by Bill Wolfe August 27, 2008 1:21PM
http://blog.nj.com/njv_bill_wolfe/2008/08/drink_at_your_own_risk.html

I followed that NJ Voices post up with a widely distributed press release yesterday:
WIDESPREAD CONTAMINATION FOUND IN NEW JERSEY DRINKING WATER – Survey of Wells Is Far From Well; State Does Not Follow-Up on Pollutants
http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1095

See below press release with links to supporting documents.

Press Release

For Immediate Release: Monday, July 26, 2010

Contact: Bill Wolfe (609) 397-4861; Kirsten Stade (202) 265-7337

Radioactive Wells Pose Bigger Risks in New jersey

Hundreds of Thousands Exposed Daily to Rad Levels Many Times over Safety Limits

Trenton – Radioactivity levels in state drinking water wells are much higher than previously known and at-risk wells cover a bigger slice of the Garden State, according to agency documents released today byPublic Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Despite significant adverse public health implications of the findings, the state has not taken steps to alert or protect affected populations.

Naturally occurring radiation has long been a known presence in New Jersey’s well water. But, according to new scientific findings presented at the May 7, 2010 meeting of the state Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI), the extent and depth of radioactivity levels are grounds for renewed concern:

• Official Private Well Testing Act data show that 10.7% of wells in the coastal plain violate the drinking water Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for gross alpha (i.e., radiological contaminants). Levels in excess of 30 times the MCL have been reported;
• Additional health risks in Northern New Jersey due to uranium are now being discovered; and
• The treatment system for gross alpha from radium is NOT effective in treating risk for uranium. Thus, homeowners who install certain treatment systems incorrectly think they are protected, when they are not protected if uranium is the source of radiation in their well water.

A February 2009 DWQI report estimated that more than 211,000 people are exposed to an individual cancer risk which is 600 times the acceptable risk level. DWQI recommended that the state adopt a drinking water MCL for radon 222 but it was not acted upon and no follow-up action is scheduled.

“The state should not be sitting on this information.  Officials need to warn affected homeowners now that they may need treatment systems or that they have the wrong systems,” stated New Jersey PEER Director Bill Wolfe, noting 13 other key drinking water protections recommended at the May 7^th DWQI meeting were also orphaned by the Christie administration.  “This is yet another instance where supposed regulatory reform becomes regulatory retreat, leaving the public unprotected from dangers that the government is supposed to address.”

Under state law individual homeowners are notified about their well contamination readings only upon sale of the property, otherwise individual well data is confidential.  In addition, there is only routine regional testing for gross alpha in the 12 southern and central New Jersey counties.  In order to track gross alpha from uranium decay, which is being detected in northern counties, new regulations are required.

“Homeowners should not require lead suits to go to their wells,” Wolfe added.  “The state needs to take affirmative steps to change laws and rules so that excess radiation is no longer an accepted side effect in our drinking water.”

###

View the DWQI PowerPoint presentation

Read the Radon 222 report

See pollution pattern in New Jersey drinking water wells

Look at the breakdown of water quality standard-setting in New Jersey

New Jersey PEER is a state chapter of a national alliance of state and federal agency resource professionals working to ensure environmental ethics and government accountability