NDCA

Scientist: Chemical may be more toxic than officials think

By Tim Damos

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A toxic and potentially cancer-causing chemical dumped at a Baraboo Army Ammunition Plant years ago could be more dangerous than federal and state officials think, one scientist warns.

Wisconsin might become the first state to set groundwater standards for certain forms of a chemical known as DNT that was used by the Army to manufacture explosives. Army officials say state regulators are being overly cautious, and a local environmental group says Wisconsin is on the right track.

“Hopefully, (the Army) can be adult about this and recognize there is a problem that resulted from their activities,” said Dr. Peter deFur, a scientific consultant hired by the nonprofit group Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger. “They should clean up after themselves.”

The Badger Army Ammunition Plant south of Baraboo was operational during conflicts from World War II through the Vietnam War. Clean-up efforts at the 7,000-acre plant, built in 1942, have been under way since the Army said the plant would no longer be needed in 1995.

DNT attacks the cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive systems and can cause headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and chest pain, according to a state toxicologist’s report. Some studies suggest it may cause cancer.

DNR reports show that all forms of the chemical have been found in groundwater from the base of the Baraboo bluffs to Prairie du Sac.

The state has a groundwater standard for two forms of DNT, which guide the Army’s clean-up efforts. The other four forms — which aren’t regulated — only made up a small portion of what was used to make explosives. But they have been found in greater proportions in monitoring wells in and around Badger, suggesting they aren’t breaking down as quickly as the regulated types of DNT, deFur said.

“The more toxic forms are the ones that hang around the longest,” he said.

In May, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asked state public health specialists to set temporary guidelines for the four unregulated forms of DNT, for which there are no state or federal standards.

A state toxicologist suggested the DNR limit the total concentration of all six forms of DNT to .05 parts per billion, which would be stricter than current standards. The DNR accepted the findings and set an interim drinking water health advisory.

An Army toxicologist disagreed with the state’s findings, saying there hasn’t been enough research on the unregulated forms of DNT to justify a health advisory.

“That’s a hollow argument, in my estimation,” deFur said. “Because it claims ignorance is an excuse for not protecting people.”

There’s no telling what DNT might do to small children, deFur said, because the data just isn’t available.

Army toxicologist Emily May LaFiandra directed the News Republic’s questions to an Army spokeswoman.

“We are advising our client, Badger, that we believe more studies need to be done to reach a clear scientific answer about human health effects (of the unregulated forms of DNT),” U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion & Preventive Medicine spokeswoman and public affairs officer Lyn Kukral said in an e-mail. “However, we are recognizing that the responsibility for determining a standard and enacting it belongs to the state of Wisconsin.”

The Army toxicologist used old data to reach her conclusion, deFur said, and the state should set even tougher standards than the interim advisory they have now.

Kukral didn’t respond specifically to deFur’s comments, which also were sent to state public health officials on behalf of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger.

The DNR is beginning the process of setting a permanent groundwater standard for all forms of DNT. It will seek input from interested parties before setting a standard that will be approved by state lawmakers.

If a standard is set next year, it could influence other states to do the same, said Laura Olah, director of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger. That could mean more headaches for Army officials trying to get sites deemed clean.

She said the action taken by the DNR is the result of unusually strict groundwater testing around the plant.

“Badger is the only plant we know of that’s testing the four less-common forms of DNT,” she said. “Unfortunately, Badger is just one of the Army plants that has this contamination.”

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/259764

Laura Olah, Executive Director

Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger

E12629 Weigand’s Bay South

Merrimac, WI  53561

(608)643-3124

Email: info@cswab.org

Website: www.cswab.org