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EPA: Dewey Loeffel water sample contaminated
May 23, 2014 6:57 am
Barbara Reina is reporting in the Register Star tests have detected a high level of the chemical compound 1,4-dioxane, a possible carcinogen, in a sample of ground water from the Dewey Loeffel Superfund site. The discovery prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to halt the release of Tank 18 into the Valatie Kill. The test sample was taken from the tank following processing at the site's treatment plant this month, and demonstrated a higher level of the compound 1,4-dioxane than previously treated samples. EPA officials are exploring the possibility of incorporating an additional filtration mechanism at the plant. In previous tests, levels of the compound have fluctuated between low and non-detectable levels, according to results published by the EPA. The plant at the Superfund site was designed to treat the contaminated ground water and liquid that seeps out from the landfill, called leachate. In preparation for continuous discharge of treated water from the plant, the EPA has been regularly sampling results after the ground water has been treated, before releasing it into the Valatie Kill. Read the full story in the Register Star.