 
Poughkeepsie Journal
Thursday, September 16, 2004
IBM will build water system for polluted E. Fishkill
areas
By Dan Shapley
SHENANDOAH -- East Fishkill residents whose water was contaminated
by a microchip-cleaning chemical will have clean water piped in
from the Town of Fishkill at a cost to IBM Corp. of $10 million,
the Environmental
Protection Agency announced Wednesday.
The water system will take about 2 1/2 years to construct, an
estimate that tacks on four months to the last stated estimate.
IBM will now begin to design the system, company spokesman Steve
Cole said.
''We're glad to finally have the EPA make the decision so we
can get to work on getting a good water source to the people in
the Shenandoah area,'' he said.
An IBM contractor, Jack Manne Inc., allegedly dum-ped tetrachloroethylene,
known as PCE, in the late 1960s and early 1970s from a workshop
on East Hook Cross Road, where it was using the chemical to cleanse
IBM microchip racks.
Groundwater at risk
PCE naturally degrades into trichloroethylene, which also pollutes
groundwater.
The groundwater pollution was discovered in 2000. Since then,
103 homes have had filters installed to cleanse water for drinking,
bathing and cooking. IBM is maintaining those filters and assumed
many of the costs of addressing the pollution.
A government assessment found people who drank tainted water
from Shenandoah for many years may face a greater risk of cancer.
The EPA proposed a connection to the Town of Fishkill well fields
to be drilled on Snook Road in November 2003. Wednesday's announcement
made that decision final.
The announcement didn't please every resident. Denis Callinan,
an outspoken critic of IBM and often the EPA, was dismayed the
decision took this long, and was concerned that the new water
source be protected.
''There's a third point,'' he said. ''In my estimation, there
is absolutely no reason in this world why the residents of the
Shenandoah IBM Superfund site should have to pay a dime toward
the operation and maintenance of this water system.''
Assuming 80 gallons per day per person, a household would pay
$166.44 per person per year, based on EPA estimates from last
year.
IBM and the EPA are still negotiating whether residents or IBM
will be responsible for ongoing operating and maintenance costs
for the water system, EPA spokesman David Kluesner said.
There are attacks on our water
on a regular basis. Why are we not
demanding the parties responsible for the mess be responsible
for the clean up... whatever it takes? Or, prevent the mess in
the first place! The following are just a few of the articles,
public opinions, and concerns that can be found throughout our
website. Please check out our Archives
Page, and Links Page for more.
Clean water is the right of all citizens. Read
Resolution
Introduced by Joel Tyner: District 11 - Rhinebeck/Clinton Legislator.
Serious Concideration of Southern Dutchess Sand
and Gravel Project is Needed. Read
article…
Toxic Water Is A Major Problem In The United
States. Read
article…
Read the list
of MTBE spills in Dutchess County.
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