August 2012 water experts gathered at Mt Holyoke Gordon Research Center Conference on the DBPs of Chloraminated Drinking Water Systems. No one has shared publicly the findings since then that the DBPs of chlorraminated drinking water systems, which service over 130 million Americans are ultra carcinogenic. At that very conference EPA had federal marshals arrest one of their own researchers for a leaked email of concern regarding chloramines that was quoted without permission to the press.
The Gordian Knot Regarding Water Issues:
Chloramines and the Gordon Research Center Conference of August 2012 on DBPs of Chloraminated Drinking Water Systems
Chloramines drinking water disinfection issues affect drinking water, waste water and surface water nationwide. Therefore this issue is important for anyone concerned with viability of surface water nationwide:
• NDMAs are ultra carcinogenic DBPs created due to nitrification issues with chloramines. Dead zones are the ideal atmosphere for proliferation of NDMAs in American waterways coast to coast. There exists the possibility of getting out of control of NDMA proliferation, where chloraminated wastewater enters dead zones, potentially losing a great mass of American surface water
• Iodic DBPs are created when chloramines combine with salt in ports and estuaries affecting wildlife and marine life
• Chloraminated water combines with numerous household products to create DBPs toxic to the environment
• All these DBPs take a tragic toll on wildlife and marine life, pets, live stock and human beings
• NDMAs and iodic DBPs are classified as ultra carcinogens
As a drinking water disinfectant, chloramines:
• Leach heavy metals from pipe and hardware, leach petroleum based carcinogens from plastic pipe and elastomyrs into water
• Is a poor biocide: The pH required for orthophosphates to stop chloramines leaching heavy metals from pipe and hardware reduces the efficacy of chloramines as a biocide by close to 90%.
• Require Orthophosphate lining to be added to reduce leaching pipe, which contributes to N&P issues down the line compounding dead zone issues in surface water.
• Children who swim in chloraminated public pools even once will sustain lung damage
• Infants swimming in chloraminated public pools are at extreme risk
• All pre-op or post-op patients, children and elderly persons and those with impaired immune systems are at increased risk due to biological pathogens chloramines fail to kill
• Water athletes are at risk for asthma and lung related disease
• 130 million Americans have not been told the dangers of ultra carcinogenic DBPs that their drinking water treatment disinfection poses
• When asked about chloramines the industry and officials EPA typically respond by stating how “monochloramines” behave, but omit to mention that chloramines are volatile and move back and forth from a state of mono to di and tri chloramine, never discussing the di and tri states, which are riskiest
• Since 2008 the drinking water utilities and the government have known of serious nitrification/NDMA issues regarding chloraminated water (AWWA Manual 56 2008 Fundamentals and Control of Nitrification Issues in Chloraminated Drinking Water Systems)
• Releasing the information from the Gordon Research Center Conference is important because the findings are the definitive studies of the experts weighing in on the viability or lack thereof of chloramines as a drinking water treatment
• At the August 2012 Gordon Reference Center Conference on DBPs of Chloraminated Drinking Water Systems, EPA had federal marshals arrest an EPA Risk Lab scientist/presenter, whose private email was leaked in part to the press re: chloramines. The draconian EPA created spectacle of a colleague hand cuffed and frog-marched out of the conference and taken into federal remand by marshals was no doubt intended to intimidate the remaining researchers into silence
• EPA does not answer to anyone but the President
• Petitioning the President is the quickest and only route to bring resolution. The President alone has the power to change drinking water treatment effectively, transparently and immediately.
• The studies presented at the Gordon Reference Conference Center were definitive -- no others are needed
• Withholding information pertinent to serious health risk affecting 130 million Americans is in and of itself toxic
• Technology exists to end the use of toxic chemicals in drinking water treatment, which is affordable and can put a lot of Americans back to work
• Transparency is needed in this and all drinking water issues
• Fair competition in technology will always benefit the public
• Transparency can be the future cornerstone of trust for drinking water initiatives. The technology exists to remove 100% biological pathogens without the use of toxic chemicals and provide transparent monitoring.
• President Obama has the power to direct EPA to make the Gordon Reference Center Conference findings public and implement change, and transparency for this and all drinking water issues, while green lighting innovative solutions in a timely fashion to safeguard American health and restore public trust
• Never has there been a betrayal of public trust this big in all of American history. Since 2008 many of the issues discuuused here were known, since 2012 they were undeniably known.
• The Gordian Knot in water treatment is this: Given the absolute failure of chloramines as a disinfection treatment now brought to light, and EPA cover up also now brought to light, and when 130+ million Americans can say, "Enough!" and demand the protection and respect and truths they are due, then the knot is cut. The President can rectify this great wrongdoing, just ask him.