^Click^
Test results coming in from Alcatel Lucent vapor intrusion testing
Published: Monday, January 24, 2011, 1:52 PM
By Tracy Ness/Independent Press
Follow
Print
file photo
NEW PROVIDENCE –Last November homeowners in New Providence and Berkeley Heights were surprised to receive letters from Alcatel-Lucent requesting permission to conduct vapor testing in their homes. The tests would determine if homes primarily along South Street had been impacted by
ground water contaminated with the chemical Trichloroethylene or TCE, a known carcinogen. At least one South Street homeowner and Faith Lutheran Church received their results and they were negative.
“The preliminary report shows no signs of TCE in the ground water or air samples. I had asked if they were going to ever return to test and they would only come out to test again if the result was positive,” said the homeowner who did not wish to be identified. “I inquired about obtaining updates on the results of the remaining tests and a spokesperson for Alcatel Lucent said they would get back to me. Still I can't help but question the number of cancer cases in the areas tested.”
Pastor Jim Krombholz of Faith Lutheran Church said the he was relieved to find out the test results for both the church building and the parsonage were negative after receiving the results in the first week of January. “After we received the letter we let our parishioners know about the testing and answered their questions about the process. There was concern but there was some relief when we found out that the remediation process was similar to that of a positive result for radon,” he said. “We were also concerned that it might disrupt our construction, but it did not and it should be complete by the end of April.”
According to a fact sheet from 2009, the plume that was discovered in 1996 “extends northeast from the southwest corner of the Alcatel Lucent property to approximately 350 feet south of the intersection of South Street and Candlewood Drive with a maximum width of 1,400 feet along Mountain Avenue.” Tests results are still due back from 13 other sites along the TCE plume. Denise Panyik-Dale, Alcatel-Lucent Director, North America Media Relations, said last week, “we still are receiving the soil gas and indoor air sampling testing results and are notifying individual home owners we receive those results. It is premature for us to comment until after we have received all of the results and have communicated those results to the individual home owners. We hope that process will be completed before the end of January.”
Letters to the homeowners requesting access to their homes for testing were sent out on November 8 and the tests were conducted in late November/early December. The letter stated that a “vapor intrusion evaluation” was being conducted jointly with Alcatel-Lucent and the DEP and the tests would “collect and analyze sub slab soil, gas and air quality samples ...to assess potential migration of vapor from ground water.”Prior to this round of testing, 19 homes along Glenside Avenue and Roland Road were tested with one home testing positive. Those homes were closest to the source of the plume. A system was installed in the affected home to “draw the air out from below the foundation and vent it outside of the home.” The home was retested over the course of a year and no further positive results were found.
HOW DID YOU GET A MORTGAGE ON YOUR HOME MR. FRANCO, 6 BAYER LANE BOONTON TOWNSHIP...OH LOST IT TO FORECLOSURE?
YOU NEVER REPRESENTED THE RESIDENTS OF VILLAS ON THE PARK...LIAR! YOU REPRESENTED JUDY RUSSO AND ME..WE BOTH LOST! HOW DID YOU END UP MOVING TO SUCH AN EXPENSIVE HOME.. SUDDENLY?
