Us rep asks epa to raise priority of cleaning borit site

Ambler, Pennsylvania â€" After last week’s funding request to the Environmental Protection Agency for money to clean up the BoRit site in Ambler, PA, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz has written a letter to the EPA headquarters supporting the request and the citizen’s petition that asks for the site to be included on the National Priorities List. EPA Region 3 asked EPA headquarters to supply $4 million in Superfund money to clean up the BoRit asbestos site last week. The funding request came from Eduardo Rovira, the eastern EPA branch’s on-scene coordinator. Rovira said in the memo that he estimated eighteen months and more than $8.1 million would be needed to “prevent, limit or mitigate the threat posed by hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants at the site.” The memo also says that the region can itself cover almost $4 million of the needed money, and asks that EPA headquarters cover the rest. EPA headquarters have so far budgeted $2 million for the regional agency to complete asbestos abatement at the site, over a twelve month time frame. Asbestos fibers have been found in surface water, sediment, soil, and air samples at the BoRit site. Despite the contamination the nearby creek is a popular local fishing site, and some studies have shown that asbestos has negative effects on fish. More seriously, asbestos causes a highly lethal type of cancer called mesothelioma in humans. The memo sent by Rovira contained some serious warnings about the asbestos contamination at the BoRit site. Rovira wrote, “If the proposed actions at the site are not implemented or are delayed, the release of hazardous substances into the environment may increase as asbestos-containing materials erode, erosion and run-off continue, asbestos-containing materials are brought to the surface by burrowing animals and/or worst-case weather conditions develop.” Schwartz’s letter, addressed to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, stressed the importance of the request, and the importance of the EPA to “realize the strong support there is in this community for placing BoRit on the NPL.” Schwartz said she had received a petition from constituents who supported putting the site on the NPL. The petition was started by Sharon McCormick, an Ambler resident and CAG member. The petition has been circulating since November 2007, and has gained almost 4,500 signatures. In the letter, Schwartz emphasized the community’s need and desire for the clean-up, saying, “I realize that EPA’s final decision will ultimately be based upon scientific analysis of the conditions at the site, but it is my strong recommendation that EPA consider the input of the community in this matter as it makes its determination.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)