DEP Adopts Weak TCP Standards for Drinking Water

Today, The Department of Environmental Protection is adopting amendments to the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) rules at N.J.A.C. 7:10 to establish an MCL for 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) of 0.030 µg/l. 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) is commonly used as an industrial solvent and new research points to the possibility of TCP having severe health effects including cancer.

“The DEP adopted a weaker standard for a carcinogenic chemical known as 1,2,3- Trichloropropane (TCP) than what health studies show. By doing this, the DEP is putting people at risk, especially in Moorestown where these chemicals have been found in their drinking water and wells. TCP is a known carcinogen that impacts public health and we need to get it out of our drinking water. New Jersey requires standard of a cancer risk for 1 in a million but DEP has just adopted a standard that is 6 times weaker,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The DEP must act on the findings of the DWQI and set the strictest standards for contaminates in our drinking water because the longer they wait, the more people are put at risk. The DWQI also determined TCP can be easily treated and removed from water. By adopting stricter standard dep will require polluters to cleanup groundwater, protecting both public health and environment.”

1,2,3,-TCP is both mutagenic and genotoxic and is found at dangerously high concentrations at Moorestown, Burlington County. An MCL is the standard for how much of a certain chemical can be in the drinking water before it poses a potential public health risk. chemicals have been found in wells in Moorestown and dozens of other places in New Jersey. The state has set an PQL for TCP instead of an MCL standard. Based on this standard, the risk factor for cancer is 6x more using PQL rather than MCL. The PQL is a practical quantity level that is not based on health-based standard. Using a different standard will also set up a conflict between the DEP and DWQI.

Ca has adopted that standard and DQWI “The science shows the standard should be 5ppt, not what DEP adopted as 30ppt. The DWQI has issued a draft standard of 5ppt that they will adopt at their next meeting. California also has a limit of 5 ppt. New Jersey must adopt a stronger standard to protect our health. TCP is commonly used as an industrial solvent and new research points to the possibility of TCP having severe health effects including cancer. TCP is recognized in California as a human carcinogen.,” said Tittel. “TCP is a known carcinogen that impacts public health and we need to keep it out of our drinking water.”

In May, the Drinking Water Quality Institute (DWQI) met to discuss various toxins in our drinking water including PFOs and 1,2,3,-TCP. Their meeting agenda included Comment/Response on Draft Subcommittee Reports on PFOS. They also presented an NJDEP Report on 1,2,3-Trichloropropane PQL.

The Senate Environment and Energy Committee held S74 (Singleton) because the DEP opposed the level of 15 ppt and instead recommend 30 ppt. The bill requires DEP to establish maximum contaminant level for 1,2,3-trichloropropane in drinking water.

“Why is the DEP adopting a weaker standard than New Jersey law requires stronger standards was wrong.  Why did the DEP oppose legislation that would require the agency to adopt stricter standards. The DWQI will adopt a stricter standard this fall. DEP needs to act on stronger recommendations and adopt it based on science and not political science,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We need the strictest standards for these dangerous materials and we need them to be as strong as possible based on strict science. The longer they wait, the more people are put at risk .”