WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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A groundwater plume contaminated with the chlorinated solvent tetrachloroethene, or PCE, has led the EPA to designate the city of Spencer’s municipal well field – which provides water to approximately 9,900 residents- a Superfund Site.
The water is blended and treated before distribution to residents. According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the municipal water supply in Spencer meets the Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The source of the contamination is unknown, but IDEM has identified nine active and former facilities that may be contributing to the contamination.
PCE is a common toxic contaminate, most often left behind by dry cleaners. It is considered a ‘mild’ carcinogen, and prolonged exposure has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s Disease and color blindness.
The follow is a statement from the EPA received after this story originally aired:
“Sites added to the NPL are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term cleanup. Academic research has shown that Superfund cleanups reduce birth defects within approximately 1 mile of a site as much as 25 percent. Cleanups also increase tax revenue and create jobs during and after cleanup. According to EPA data, 487 of the 888 Superfund sites cleaned up for reuse supported approximately 6,6000 businesses in 2017. And these businesses’ ongoing operations generate annual sales of $43.6 billion and employ more than 156,000 people who earned a combined income of $11.2 billion.
Based on EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management research, residents located within the designated Superfund site receive municipal water as their drinking water source. The water is blended and treated before distribution to residents. According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the municipal water supply in Spencer meets the Safe Drinking Water Act standards.”
