I was able to obtain both the new long and short term EPA guidelines for both PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. This being .07 for each individually or .07 for both combined. Other States are free to adopt lower standards as did NJ (.04ppb) and Vermont (.02ppb). As was disclosed Vienna substantially exceeds the new EPA guideline. It is about 1 1/2 times the new EPA standard.
All of the hullabaloo, was just that a big exercise in what was supposed to be "startling" to Mr. Rapp per the media Friday. He knew it was coming just not how deep. The danger from C8 was allegedly known to DuPont as far back as 1984 and as the "Keep your promises DuPont" representative said today they picked money over the safety of the people. Pretty strong position that is supposedly in the documents obtained from their sources?
And Mr. Dietzler who is the Attorney for the hundreds of cases pending in Ohio feels that DuPont should pay for the filtration system here as it has for a half dozen other local water fields.
The sudden (?) decision now to put in three (3) water filtration systems was a bit surprising to me. It seems a probable that Mr. Rapp is expecting either Chemours who as we now know is providing 10K cases of bottled water; DuPont or maybe both to pay for the systems? The fact that Chemours is now providing water voluntarily seems like a "smoking gun" to their likely guilt on the C8? We will see?
The installation over the next few months of three (3) filtration systems will most likely save the $4- 5 million dollars expected to be the cost of piping all the water from our wells to the 60th St. site, filtering the water and then back down into the City system. This if Mr. Rapp and crew had been left to their own devices.
I did not attend the "Special Council" meeting today at 2:00 P.M. as I expected a dog and pony show with a lot of photo op and microphone time. I was not disappointed. We all love a circus.
The wringing of hands over the overtime money for the City folks because the National Guard did not provide any troops to help is just that- wringing of hands. There is so much slush fund money floating around that a couple of hundred thousand for O.T. will be just a blip on the budget. Only means that the City will not be able to have a huge carryover when the new filtration systems finally kick in.
It seems that everything is going well with the 10K gallon water tankers and six Buffalo tanks I believe they are called. One per School and 1 per Senior Apartment complexes. I just wonder who got the approximate 60 cases of bottled water bought from Lowe's yesterday about 3:00 P.M. and allegedly put in a City vehicle? Did you get any? I sure didn't either.
I did some research this morning on just how effective/ safe the individual home water filtration systems would be? I was advised from one source that it was believed they would be about 99.9% safe. But the problem supposedly is that the water filtration companies only test for contaminants (my word) that are on the EPA for sure bad stuff lists. C8 is still not on the testing list for the companies. But who knows what next week will bring? Truth will in time out as is the usual ending.
I had someone tell me that the price for bottled water skyrocketed in some places when folks raced to buy for themselves? Would that not have qualified if true as "price gouging"? And is that not illegal in this State during times of an emergency? Or do any of the authorities even care as so much is now to be distributed for free?
It is sad that the population of the State or at least some of the bigger Cities is dropping? The number one being Charleston has dropped below 50 thousand by losing 500 folks in the last year. Huntington is still number two; P' burg is at three with about 30 thousand and Morgantown is now fourth by losing also a couple of hundred folks. Wonder what the occupations of those families were that they had to go elsewhere? Maybe they stayed in the State by finding work in another City?
I am going to talk about the other dog and pony show coming up Monday later. That being the Fire Board Fee (Tax), County Commission Meeting. In todays paper, we were again lied too. This time by the Fire Boarders themselves. Plus the deals to insure "equitable and fair" taxation. 'nuff said'.
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).