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Friday, February 04, 2000 Page: 5A
JACKSON TWP. – The number of private drinking wells believed to be
contaminated by a chemical coming from American Asphalt Paving Co. on Chase
Road has risen from six to 15, according to the Department of Environmental
Protection.
DEP’s Environmental Cleanup Program is conducting two contamination
investigations, one involving the Jan. 19 Sun Pipe Line leak and the other
related to private wells showing low levels of the chemical, trichloroethane,
a manmade, organic chemical, commonly used as a solvent or degreaser to clean
metal parts.
The Department of Environmental Protection does not have definitive proof
of the source.
All 15 homes are near the entrance to the plant. DEP has been evaluating
on-site contamination of the plant’s main production well with low levels of
trichloroethane for the last two years, DEP has stated.
The additional traces showed up in the results from water samples of
private wells.