2 United Water wells shut down
The two wells taken off line showed uranium readings at twice the federal safety standard for preliminary tests.
TOMS RIVER -- High radition levels found in two United Water Toms River wells caused the company to voluntarily close two of its wells this week.
State water tests performed in response to recent findings of high childhood cancer rates in Toms River uncovered abnormally high radiation readings, prompting the company to close the two wells on Wednesday.
While assuring area residents that the water is safe for both drinking and bathing, Gov. Christie Whitman and health officials said additional tests will no(w?) be performed on the closed wells.
State Health Commissioner Len Fishman said there are no studies linking the kinds of radiation readings found in the drinking water to the types of cancer now being investigated.
Whitman, Fishman and Environmental Commissioner Robert Shinn met with local officials Wednesday and issued a draft proposal to study childhood cancer in the county.
Shinn said natural radiation levels go up and down all the time and it would take one year of continuous testing to find and confirm a problem.
The two wells taken off line showed twice the federal safety standard for preliminary tests. Those wells are at Route 70 and the Indian Head stations, officials said.
The readings at the wells were high enough to trigger a year's worth of testing to determine if there is a problem. Two other wells tested close to the maximum federal level, but have not been closed.
Whitman stressed that the findings are preliminary.
"This is not atypical to see these kinds of spikes, and to see them go away again naturally," Whitman said. "This is so raw, and ordinarily this data would never be shared, because in and of itself it may not mean anything at all. You have got to look at the whole picture, but we don't want to hold anything back."
Linda Gillick, executive director for Oceans of Love, a support group for parents of children who have cancer, said the initial tests raise worries.
"They are a concern to me because they do show an elevation of something," Gillick said. "I am sorry to see that number is here, but I also understand that we have a lot more testing...and this may be all that shows up in the water."
Higher than normal numbers of Ocean County children were diagnosed with cancer in a state study from 1979 to 1991, according to state Health Department figures.
State and federal officials are working together on a study of the area. New Jersey has been added to what is now a seven-state study of brain cancer incidence near Superfund sites being coordinated by federal officials.