Murt Asks Navy to Fund Filters in Upper Dublin
HARRISBURG-- Rep. Thomas Murt (Montgomery/Philadelphia) asked the U.S. Navy to assume full and immediate responsibility for the filtering of eight wells serving Upper Dublin Township and other areas of eastern Montgomery County.
Murt wrote a letter to Steven R. Iselin, assistant secretary of the Navy, with this request.
You can access it here.
Murt expressed his deepest concern regarding the contamination of local wells in eastern Montgomery County and the impact this contamination will have on public health and safety. In 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority released well sampling results that found perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in wells in the area.
Murt reminded Iselin that the contamination was a direct result of activities at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base. Murt told Iselin: “This contamination is a direct result of activities at the base in Willow Grove. My constituents and I have serious and legitimate concerns relative to the impact of these chemicals on public health and safety.” Murt is a retired veteran and served at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station for most of his career and was deployed from NAS Willow Grove to Iraq in 2003.
The wells that Murt is asking to be immediately filtered with Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filters at this time are the Aidenn Lair, the Neshaminy Creek and the Hall Road wells, as well as five wells in the Borough of Hatboro. Wells located in Horsham Township will have filters purchased with funding from a Commonwealth grant.
Murt told Iselin: “The Navy has an obligation and duty to assume responsibility for the remediation efforts.” Murt articulated that the Navy should “fit these eight wells with Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filters immediately and that the action is needed to protect the general population from the health hazards associated with exposure to higher levels of PFOS/PFOA.”
Murt also told Iselin that the Navy should underwrite these costs as a demonstration of their duty to ensuring the safety of local water supplies.
Murt requested an immediate response to his request from the Navy.
Representative Thomas P. Murt
152nd District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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