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LETTER: Herald Is Wrong on Baddacook

To the Editor,

While Art and I appreciate the Herald's continued interest in the health and well-being of Groton's ponds, I am afraid the content of your story may have caused more confusion and possibly set back the effectiveness of our efforts to restore Baddacook Pond.

Your article creates confusion by stating that "trace elements [of emerging contaminants] could interact with the herbicide to create a compound that could endanger the public health..."  Emerging contaminants, while an important subject, are unrelated to the Sonar treatment of Baddacook Pond.  Sonar is NOT an emerging contaminant. The breakdown of Sonar and its byproducts has been extensively studied and passed years of scrutiny.  By discussing emerging contaminants in the same story as the Sonar treatment, you have conjoined them in an inaccurate manner.

Massachusetts DEP has informed the Groton Water Commission that Sonar is not known to migrate to adjacent wells. The Water Commission was also provided with actual wells tests from Littleton and Foxborough that confirmed this.  In the 2013 treatment of Knops Pond/Lost Lake, tests of the Whitney well also revealed no Sonar.  Even if Sonar were to migrate at some undetectable amount, the level would be nowhere near that allowed in potable water supplies and reservoirs by EPA and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP).  It has been safely and effectively used in water supplies for decades.    

The Groton Water Commission contention that EPA is not an agency to be trusted (Memorandum of January 28th to the Groton Board of Selectmen) makes no sense as they follow EPA guidelines for all their water tests.  The EPA's authority comes from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) which grants EPA the authority to set standards for drinking water quality and oversee the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards.  If EPA is not to be trusted, perhaps we should be concerned with their guidelines for two byproducts of the chlorine disinfection known to cause health effects which are present in Groton's public drinking water?

We hope you will set the record straight in the next edition.

Sincerely,

Alexander Woodle

Art Prest

Groton Lakes Association

Groton Herald

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 610, Groton, Massachusetts 01450
 

Office
145 Main Street, Groton, Massachusetts 014510
[Prescott Community Center]
 

Telephone: 978-448-6061
 

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