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February 24, 2003-The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, sampled 75 residential wells. Five residential wells were found contaminated with trichloroethylene, TCE, above the standard of 5 parts per billion, ppb. The range was from 1.2ppb to 250ppb. The EPA provided bottled water for the affected residents.

April 14, 2003-The EPA sampled 37 residential wells and 13 gas-soil samples were also taken in specific homes.

May 5, 2003-The EPA samples 64 residential wells.

June 16, 2003-The EPA sampled 239 residential wells to date. 30 wells were found to have TCE. 24 of those were above the standard of 5ppb.

July 2003- The EPA started to install the Point Of Entry Treatment systems, POET, carbon, water treatment systems for those homes at or above the standard of 5ppb.

September 26, 2003-Group of local residents meet with Congresswoman Kelly concerning the contamination problem. They voice their concern about the NPL package possibly not being ready for the November review. The EPA emergency response team was scheduled to leave by March, 2004.

October 26, 2003-The EPA sampled 244 homes. 44 homes tested positive for TCE. 36 were above the standard of 5ppb and 8 homes had trace levels. 76 homes test positive for trichloroethane, TCA, and 10 of them are above state standard of 5ppb. NYSDEC installs those 10 POET system filters. 47 homes test positive for MTBE. All are below the standard.

November 5, 2003-NYSDEC notifies Assemblyman Manning by letter that they are considering the Hopewell Precision site for NPL status.

November 20, 2003-Letter from NYSDEC commissioner, Erin M. Crotty, asks the EPA to put the Hopewell Precision site on the national priorities list, NPL.

December 10, 2003-Town of East Fishkill writes letter to the EPA requesting superfund status for site.

February 2004-The EPA tests homes for vapor intrusion. They used both a Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer, TAGA, unit and summa canisters.Senator Schumer calls on EPA to promptly declare the Hopewell Junction contamination site a new superfund site. To date, 37 homes have POET systems for TCE and 13 homes have POET systems for TCA. US Congresswoman Sue Kelly called EPA administrator Mike Leavitt to request the Hopewell Precision site become a superfund site.

March 10, 2004-The Dutchess County legislators send a letter to the DEC asking them to adopt guidelines on indoor air testing for TCE. Hopewell Precision site does not get proposed to the NPL list. Congresswoman Sue Kelly vows to fight for the site.

March 18, 2004-US Senator Hillary Clinton writes EPA administrator Micheal Leavitt asking to put site on superfund list.

April 4, 2004-Hopewell Precision is named as a potential responsible party for the contamination. The EPA announces that the investigation and work will continue indefinitely. Spokeswoman states the EPA emergency enforcement unit pledges to keep working until site gets on NPL.

April 10, 2004-Hillary Clinton states the need to replenish the superfund.

May 7, 2004-14 homes out of 36 tested were found to need air mitigation unit installed.

September 23, 2004-The Hopewell Precision site gets nominated to the NPL list.

November 15, 2004-Chairman of the state assembly's standing committee on environmental conservation holds public hearing in Endicott, NY. The hearing examined the health impact of vapor intrusion from soil and groundwater contamination. Assemblyman Manning sits on the committee and attended asking questions to the speakers.

December 21, 2004-To date-48 homes have TCE in their water and 37 have filters. 96 homes have TCA and 13 have filters. 64 homes have TCE vapor intrusion detects and 41 have sub slab ventilation systems installed.

January 24, 2005-Residents meet with environmental lawyers. Meeting was a success. 74 affected neighbors get information.

February 2, 2005-EPA lowers TCE vapor intrusion guidelines from 2.7 micrograms per meters cubed to 0.38 micrograms per meters cubed indoor air. Homes will be tested indoors if sub-slab results are 2.7 micrograms per meter cubed. This is a huge victory for the health of the affected parties. Congresswoman Sue Kelly had written a letter in support of the lower guidelines 2 weeks before.

April 27, 2005-EPA finalizes NPL status officially naming the Hopewell Precision site a superfund site. Sites that are designated as final are eligible for funds to conduct long-term cleanups. Acting EPA Regional Administrator Kathleen Callahan said," Hopewell Junction is a community where we were able to take quick action to protect people from an immediate risk". She also said," This listing ensures that this site will continue to get the attention it needs."

May 19, 2005-There was a public hearing concerning the Vaporization of Contamination from Soil and Groundwater in East Fishkill. Assemblyman Patrick Manning, R-East Fishkill, and Thomas DiNapoli, D-Great Neck, Nassau County, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, heard testimony from several experts, agency officials and residents. We are hoping to promulgate a better protective guideline not only for our site, but for all sites in NYS. We continue to use the acceptable guideline of 0.38 micrograms per meter cubed TCE while other sites in NYS use the guideline of 5.0 micrograms per meter cubed TCE.

                        Photograph By Nellie Borell

June 6, 2005-Residents were invited to a coffee clutch at a diner with our Congresswoman, Sue Kelly. The Congresswoman requested a meeting with us so she can hear how things are going with all of the governmental agencies, making sure our needs are being met. She also told me to remind you all that you can contact her office on Main Street in Fishkill if you need assistance. Her contact info is on our website.

            D. Hall--Congresswoman Kelly--B. Borell

June 26, 2005-Congresswoman Sue Kelly urged Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson to speed up the process to address
water and air contamination from the chemical TCE. She wrote a letter signed by 12 other house members stating it could take years before EPA finalizes its
TCE risk assessment, "and Americans are constantly being exposed to this
and similar toxic substances." They are urging the EPA to adopt a
protective interim approach until a new risk assessment is completed.

August 23, 2005-Endicott, NY- NYSDOH Public Health Consultation Health Statistics Review: Cancer and Birth Outcome Analysis, http://www.pressconnects.com/forms/endicottdoh2.pdf, is made public for comment. For the first time a government health document shows a correlation between TCE vapor intrusion and certain types of cancer.

September 16, 2005-Congresswoman Sue Kelly formally requests a congressional hearing to fully examine the toxicity and effects of TCE. Quote: ...Americans are increasingly exposed to TCE in their water and air-with no clear EPA standard for these exposures.

September 29, 2005-Congresswoman Kelly stressed that a national protective standard is needed at a hearing taking place in Washington DC before the House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment. She pressed the EPA to more urgently address the health and environmental risks of TCE, the hazardous chemical that has contaminated our neighborhood.

October 5, 2005-Senator Clinton Urges EPA To Issue Protective Standard For TCE

Washington, DC — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today calling on them to issue a health-protective “interim standard” for trichloroethylene (TCE) vapor intrusion in order to protect the health and well-being of our communities. Endicott, Hopewell Junction and Ithaca are known to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds where TCE is also known to be present.

In addition to Senator Clinton, six other senators signed onto this letter including Senators Barbara Boxer, Christopher Dodd, Frank Lautenberg, Joseph Lieberman, Gordon Smith, and Ron Wyden.

December 1, 2005-The EPA informed the public during a community meeting what they plan to do during the remedial investigation - feasibility study and gave time limits for those plans. Afterward the meeting was open for questions from residents. Also attending the meeting and available for questions were the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Congresswoman Sue Kelly was represented by one of her aids. The meeting was held in response to a request from residents.

June 1, 2006-On Thursday June 1st, community and environmental groups across the state unveiled the “winners” of Citizens' Environmental Coalition’s (CEC) Third Annual “Dirty Dozen” Awards to draw attention to pollution and environmental health problems in New York State. Each Dirty Dozen award is a pair of worn children's shoes, mounted to a plaque featuring the name of the winning site and carrying the message: "NY's Children ask: Will you take the necessary steps to right these wrongs?" Each award is unique and represents how children are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures. Hopewell Precision was one of the twelve winners. 

July 27, 2006-EPA is told to go ahead and promulgate new water standards for TCE as per National Academy of Science recommendation. This has been a long awaited report and hopefully the EPA will promulgate the new standards ASAP!

December 30, 2006-Residents spoke to congressman-elect Hall at a meet and greet in Wingdale, NY. We explained why his help is most important. We gave him a copy of the draft public health assessment. We hope to continue our representation at the congressional level.

PHOTO BY NELLIE BORELL

January 22, 2007-Neighbors in the affected community joined Congressman Hall's District Director, Susan Spear and Assemblyman Marc Molinaro for an important meeting. The New York State Department of Health and Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry presented their plan for our health issues. In addition to the Health Assessment, which does not really tell us much, we will get an additional study called a Health Statistics Review. The department of health will be requesting input from the community.

August 1, 2007-Senator Clinton Introduces Legislation to Help Communities with TCE Contamination. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today announced that she has introduced the “TCE Reduction Act” to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set tougher regulations to protect the public from exposure to the carcinogenic chemical Trichloroethylene (TCE). Read about it here, TCE Reduction Act  

March 3, 2008-U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19) today unveiled legislation to help communities deal with TCE contamination. The TCE Reduction Act, which Hall is introducing with U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY22), would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set stricter regulations to protect the public from exposure to TCE.

Thank you Congressman Hall for listening to our issues here at the Hopewell Precision Superfund site.

**Remember, the main reason we are getting the attention we need is because we have been politically active. Please help when asked to make a phone call or write a letter. It is extremely important we stay involved!

This site was last updated 03/29/08