Public meeting on water contamination held in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, Del.- The Environmental Protection Agency hosted a meeting to discuss the status on the water contamination site with the public.

The agency and town say the water is safe to drink, but other issues still pose some concern.

The EPA says it believes two sites have been contaminated by leaked cleaning solvents from tow old dry cleaners. It's believed some of these compounds have been there since the 1980s.

"Why did it take so long for it to come about?" asked Tambra Stewart-Mizzelle, who owns one of the sites. "I know it's been years ago that the dry cleaners were there and active."

Stewart-Mizzelle says the land was donated to the Restoration Worship Center, where she is a pastor.

The compound in the soil and water, known as volatile organic compounds, can turn into a vapor- and prolonged exposure can cause severe health risks like nervous system damage and cancer.

Currently, the EPA is surveying the site to see the extent of contamination at these two sites on Race Street and North Railroad Avenue. Since these two sites are close to one another, the EPA says it is possible the two contamination sites could overlap and cause a bigger area of contamination, but that has not been confirmed at this time.

After around five to six weeks of examination, the EPA says the next step will be looking into how to clean up the soil and discuss with the public how the problem could be fixed. 

More information can be found on the EPA's website.