In 2006, unusually high levels of benzene were found in the groundwater beneath a property on East State Street.
78 times the legal limit in the groundwater, to be exact.
Long-term exposure to benzene can cause excessive bleeding and damage to bone marrow, red blood cells, the immune system and reproductive organs. It can also cause birth defects in animals.
Most noteworthy, perhaps, is that long-term exposure to benzene has been found to cause cancer, according to a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nothing was ever done about that 2006 finding. That is unacceptable.
Former County Engineer Archie Stanley was first notified of the contamination in 2008, but testing was never completed, a gross oversight by the county engineer’s office.
Current County Engineer Jeff Maiden, now responsible for handling the project, said he is in the process of researching the means and cost of further testing.
We certainly hope he follows through, because the county has been neglected enough by state agencies in terms of environmental safety — we don’t need more neglect at home.
As Athens County injection wells go months without inspection and water tables continue to be contaminated, one must wonder how seriously those responsible for our safety and the safety of our environment are taking their jobs and our lives.
