Martinsville Indiana Superfund Site Association: MISSA

10/23/2023

EPA News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene to Protect Public from Toxic Chemical Known to Cause Serious Health Risks

10/23/2023

Martinsville is beset by 4 contaminated waste streams that have played havoc with the community for over 40 years - they all contain TCE. The presence of TCE and the short/long term chronic and acute effects that exposure to it in its various forms/phases upon the community has not been sufficiently addressed by an agency. Morgan County of which Martinsville is the County seat has the highest cancer rate in the State of Indiana.
In the comments there is a v***r map that indicates the presence of TCE in Martinsville - check and see if you are in any of those neighborhoods.

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to ban all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), an extremely toxic chemical known to cause serious health risks including cancer, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. TCE is used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, and tire repair sealants, and a variety of safer alternatives are readily available for many uses. This action, taken under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), would protect people from these health risks by banning the manufacture, processing, and distribution of TCE for all uses. EPA’s proposed risk management rule would take effect in one year for consumer products and most commercial uses and would implement stringent worker protections on the limited remaining commercial and industrial uses that would be phased down over a longer period.
The proposal’s expected exposure reductions to prevent cancer before it starts aligns with President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, a whole-of-government approach to end cancer as we know it. The proposal also advances the President’s historic commitment to environmental justice which seeks to address impacts of underinvestment in communities overburdened by legacy pollution and environmental hazards.
“Today, EPA is taking a vital step in our efforts to advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot and protect people from cancer and other serious health risks,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “The science is loud and clear on TCE. It is a dangerous toxic chemical and proposing to ban it will protect families, workers, and communities.”
“For far too long, TCE has left a toxic legacy in communities across America. Today, EPA is taking a major step to protect people from exposure to this cancer-causing chemical,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Today’s proposal to end these unsafe, unrestricted uses of TCE will prevent future contamination to land and drinking water and deliver the chemical safety protections this nation deserves.”

EPA News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene to Protect Public from Toxic Chemical Known to Cause Serious Health Risks

03/03/2022

In the first direct analysis of its kind, a study by Indiana University researchers has found a link between lead in drinking water, specifically from private wells, and juvenile delinquency.

Science Indiana University study links lead exposure to juvenile delinquency Timberly Ferree March 2, 2022 In the first direct analysis of its kind, a study by Indiana University researchers has found a link between lead in drinking water, specifically from private wells, and juvenile delinquency. ....

10/28/2021

Project Manager for the EPA Superfund Site remediation, Erik Hardin, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, Kirstin Safakas, and Tom Wallace, Martinsville Superfund Site Association have a tent set up in the Morgan County Public Library parking lot, on the corner of Main and Columbus. Starting at 10:00 AM they will be enrolling residents for V***r Intrusion testing of their homes, business, and other structures; such as Churches and day care centers.
Intrusion of PCE and TCE into structures is the main public health hazard from the contamination in Martinsville. Stop by for information and to schedule your property for testing - there is no charge for this nor is there a charge for the installation of a mitigation system if one is required.

10/14/2021

Project Manager for the EPA Superfund Site, Erik Hardin, and EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, Kirstin Safakas, will be in Martinsville on October 27, 28, and 29 to sign-up locations for v***r intrusion testing. V***r intrusion of PCE into structures is one of the main public health concerns from the Superfund Site. Notices have been mailed to approximately 200 locations within the Superfund Site that have been identified as potentially being affected by v***r intrusion. If you have received one of these notices then please respond to have your property tested.
Erik and Kirstin will be at tonight's Purdue-Showalter Children's Health Study taskforce meeting at 8:00 - if you would like to attend use this ZOOM link:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting URL: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98011313992?from=addon
Meeting ID: 980 1131 3992

10/02/2021

Science Researchers, policy experts to discuss Indiana wetland outlook during virtual forum Enrique Saenz October 1, 2021 Researchers, policy experts and environmental management professionals will discuss changes in legal protections for Indiana’s wetlands and how those changes could alter ecosys...

09/21/2021

"In just four weeks, Indiana reported more than 100,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, driving its total beyond 900,000. The state has averaged 3,976 new cases per day in September, after reaching a pandemic low in June of 282. That average is also higher than August's, which reached an average 2,899 new cases per day.

In the last seven days, the state has reported nearly 27,000 new cases.
The state's deaths have also grown. Since Sept. 1, the state has added 537 new deaths to its total, averaging nearly 30 deaths per day."

📍 There will be mobile clinics offering testing and vaccinations in 25 counties this week.

Find one near you: https://bit.ly/INCOVIDTestMap

08/19/2021

We are living in a community where for 3 generations there has been a low level continious exposure to PCE community-wide. The culuminative and potentially chronic effects of such a long-term exposure have never been studied - expecially within the most vulnerable population - children.

The Purdue-Martinsville PCE Study is a research program with multiple projects. One of these project is a study entitled "Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination and children's health in Martinsville, IN," also called "Showalter Project," which aims to assess low-level exposure to volatile organic c...

08/10/2021

"But residents should avoid drinking local well water that isn’t treated by the municipal system, an ATSDR representative told Martinsville’s Common Council March 4. And they should be aware of possible ill health effects caused by v***r from the original contamination site seeping into commercial and residential buildings.

“We are looking for additional information to confirm that wells have been abandoned because it is important for people to understand that if they are in the area of potential impact, they should not be using the well water,” said ATSDR environmental health scientist Motria Caudill."

Feds say residents should avoid drinking local well water that isn’t treated by the municipal system.