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New Jersey community devastated by contaminated water

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    Pompton Lakes residents plea for more to be done to rid lake of poisonous DuPont chemicals

  • Duration 4:33
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The -- of -- and lakes as one of the prettiest in New Jersey.

But the residents of 450.

Homes here say that they have been contaminated.

By an old DuPont plant.

And now they want them to clean this lake up the ground water and -- town news.

Poisoned with.

What are called volatile organic chemicals the weary residents of pump them lake say pollutants from a DuPont weapons plant has left residents sick and dying and -- unable to -- And they say neither the multi billion dollar company nor the federal government.

Have done enough to help them they cannot sell their homes they cannot get mortgages we have notes from banks saying they've been denied because of the contamination issues here.

Former councilman Ed meet him and -- every GO our residents dedicated to citizens for clean pumpkin lakes.

Or not people with a lot of money that can -- up and leave our homes.

In many cases -- sizzle we have their fight.

With the corporate giant and governmental bureaucracy has brought about some change but they say not nearly enough.

What we need is the EPA to come in and wrote this entire.

Cleanup process into one hole clean out in the statement the Environmental Protection Agency says they are quote.

Strongly committed to cleaning up the site quickly.

Using the best methods available and having DuPont -- every element of this cleanup and quote.

For president say that does little to mitigate their losses -- this is where you live this way -- Your wife passed away passed away from cancer can't -- cancer lung cancer.

Spread throughout the throughout about issue -- put it shouldn't -- that it may.

And she -- -- actually define you follow follow this I can't comment to people's individual situations as far as health concerns from Bob Nelson is -- DuPont spokesman we had people pointing.

That house cancer that has an entirely as -- announcer lost pets doubled my more than just a report.

That is a fact that that's what's happening outside.

The fence -- your plan.

There's a 2011 studies showed it -- It would did it interprets -- -- -- -- a different way and I I can't speak to it but it's it's there strategically located in the valley.

In the event of a catastrophic explosion.

The pump them lakes works is a virtual -- land -- -- slabs of concrete represent the bones of manufacturing plants.

Where for nine.

-- chemicals were dumped.

Offs into the ground into the water.

And so -- now dealing with 25 years later -- the effects of that.

Those chemicals -- Well what happened traditionally back in those times there were cross process is that we now know would not a bad news for nearly a century carcinogens like lead and Mercury -- -- land.

And -- created -- -- underground aquifers that fed the community around it for years to come.

At DuPont claims that they.

Putting systems they've done tests they.

Put in Paper mitigation systems and filters.

-- -- A very interesting that's a band -- than it does safeguard our residents but we're getting readings outside of our homes.

A benzene a meddling Cutler writes even with the system -- So but this is -- pumping station this is where the water is drawn up out of the ground filter advanced and back into the -- That is correct what kind of contaminants which we were talking about TEC and PEC which are too volatile organic compounds that are removed.

There are also some other constituents -- for mediating the -- treat it.

And that part of any go homes to be on three billion gallons -- three billion.

And the last seventeen years went on the new homes that's what slicks contaminated residence again told me that -- Consider -- the pump and dump space in other words.

The word is being drawn out but it's still polluted because into the air and that's not true just -- types of systems are designed to remove.

Contaminated constituents from the water it that is reintroduced into the office first clean water.

-- can say whatever they want but you know what for a hundred years.

Right decades they've made ammunitions for the government we can't get the real answer is maybe you guys can get.

The writing answers.

-- says they have a plan in place to dredge up to 99% of the Mercury in an area they called a delta up pomp and lake.

And that sent it to the EPA for approval.

But gave no timeline on that project.

Affected residents many of whom are elderly say time for them is running out.