>>> THEY ARE IN OUR CLOTHES, ON
OUR NONSTICK PANS, EVEN ON FOOD
PACKAGING.
THEY ARE SO-CALLED FOREVER
CHEMICALS AND MIGHT BE HARMFUL TO OUR HEALTH.
>> THE NBC 10 INVESTIGATORS HAVE
FOUND THEY ARE A GROWING THREAT
TO THE WATER SOME OF US DRINK AND USE EVERY DAY.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER DANNY
FREEMAN SHOWS US WHAT HAPPENED
WHEN ONE PENNSYLVANIA BOROUGH
FOUND OUT ITS WATER IS
CONTAMINATED. >> Reporter: FROM DRINKING TO
COOKING TO WASHING UP, THIS
FAMILY USES WATER FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.
>> WE ONLY DRINK THE CITY WATER.
>> Reporter: WHEN SARAH GOT A
LETTER SAYING THE BOROUGH’S
WATER WAS CONTAMINATED SHE WAS
WORRIED.
>> SCARED OF THE WATER IN YOUR
OWN HOME.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
>> Reporter: WE LEARNED SHE
WASN’T THE ONLY ONE IN UNCHARTED WATERS.
>> OUR IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS
WHAT DO WE DO?
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE BOROUGH
MANAGER. IN OCTOBER THE PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION TOLD HIM TWO OF THE
BOROUGH’S FOUR MAIN WELLS SHOWED
ELEVATED LEVELS OF CERTAIN
CHEMICALS.
SUBSEQUENT TESTS SHOWED ONE WELL
HAD ALMOST DOUBLE THE FEDERAL
HEALTH ADVISORY LIMIT.
THE SECOND WELL HAD TEN TIMES THE LIMIT.
>> IT’S ALARMING, SCARY,
CERTAINLY NOT ACCEPTABLE IN OUR
WATER SYSTEM. >> Reporter: WHAT ARE PFAS?
THEY ARE CHEMICALS USED TO MAKE
COMMON HEAT RESISTANT OR
NONSTICK PRODUCTS KNOWN AS
FOREVER CHEMICALS BECAUSE THEY
DON’T BREAK DOWN EASILY IN THE
ENVIRONMENT OR OUR BODIES.
STEPHANIE WINE IS A CLEAN WATER
ACTIVIST WITH PENN ENVIRONMENT.
>> THE SCIENCE IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT THEY’RE A THREAT TO OUR
HORMONES, A THREAT IN TERMS OF
CANCER RISK. >> Reporter: PEPE SAYS THE PFAS
LIKELY CAME FROM FIREFIGHTER
FOAM SEEPING INTO THE GROUND,
KNOWN TO CONTAIN FOREVER
CHEMICALS, AND A FIRE TRAINING
CENTER IS JUST STEPS FROM ONE OF THE WELLS.
>> THEY’VE BEEN USING THIS FOAM
FOR DECADES.
>> Reporter: BUT THE TIMELINE FROM WHEN THE BOROUGH KNEW AND
WHEN THEY SHARED THE INFORMATION
HAS RESIDENTS CONCERNED.
THEY GOT THE TEST RESULTS IN LATE OCTOBER AND POSTED ONLINE
ABOUT A MONTH LATER BUT THEN
SENT A LETTER OUT TO THE
COMMUNITY JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE NOTICE PEPE
SAYS HE WAS JUST FOLLOWING THE
STATE’S INSTRUCTIONS.
>> THAT WAS ALL THROUGH
PENNSYLVANIA DEP.
>> Reporter: E-MAILS SHOW DEP
PROVIDED A TEMPLATE AND EDITED
LANGUAGE IN THE NOTIFICATION
BEFORE THE FINAL VERSION WAS SENT OUT.
>> WE INFORMED THEM AS SOON AS
WE POSSIBLY COULD AND HAD
APPROVAL TO INFORM THEM.
>> SO CREATING ANY DELAYS
BETWEEN A WATER AUTHORITY
FINDING OUT THERE IS AN UNSAFE
LEVEL AND US KNOWING WHAT IS
COMING OUT OF OUR TAP.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER POINT RAISING RESIDENTS’ EYEBROWS THE
BOROUGH DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE
MOST CONTAMINATED WELL IMMEDIATELY BUT IS KEEPING THIS
CONTAMINATED WELL OPEN TO KEEP
WATER FLOWING SAYING THERE IS NO
IMMEDIATE RISK.
PEPE SAYS AT LEAST ONE WELL MUST
STAY OPEN TO PROVIDE WATER TO
THE COMMUNITY.
>> AS FAR AS THE INFORMATION
INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO THE
IDEA THAT YOU CAN KEEP DRINKING
YOUR WATER THAT WAS ALL THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA DEP.
>> SO EMAYUS IS A SPECIFIC CASE.
>> Reporter: LISA DANIELS IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF SAFE
DRINKING WATER AND TOLD US THE
NOTIFICATION TIME FRAME IS
STANDARD FOR PFAS AND HEALTH RISKS MAY DEVELOP OVER YEARS.
THOUGH THERE SEEM TO BE A LACK
OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE STILL
OPEN WELL.
SHOULD IT BE OPERATIONAL?
>> SO WE CAN CERTAINLY CHECK
WITH OUR DISTRICT STAFF BUT I’M NOT AWARE OF EMMAUS CONTINUING
TO USE WELLS THAT EXCEED HEALTH
ADVISORIES.
>> Reporter: DANIELS MAY NOT
HAVE BEEN AWARE BUT AFTER THE
E-MAIL
E-MAIL -- INTERVIEW WE OBTAINED
E-MAILS SAYING HER STAFF WAS
WELL AWARE.
>> IF THEY CAN DO SO SAFELY
WITHOUT THE WATER AND STILL OPERATE THEIR SYSTEM.
>> Reporter: TO BE HONEST WITH
YOU I THINK PENNSYLVANIA DEP IS
LEARNING AS MUCH AS I AM RIGHT
NOW. >> ALL RIGHT.
SO EMMAUS HAD TO PURCHASE A
$400,000 FILTRATION SYSTEM TO
GET RID OF THE PFAS IN ITS WATER
BUT THE SYSTEM MAY TAKE UP TO
NINE MONTHS TO ARRIVE.
THE BOROUGH SAYS IT IS
CONSIDERING NOW LEGAL ACTION
AGAINST FIREFIGHTER FOAM
MANUFACTURERS TO RECOUP SOME OF THE COSTS.
WE’LL REACH OUT TO THE COMPANIES AND THEY EITHER SAID NO COMMENT,
THEY DON’T USE PFAS, OR DIDN’T
RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST.
>> WHAT’S NEXT IN THIS
INVESTIGATION, DANNY?
>> THIS IS A FOUR-PART SERIES
AND WE’LL PICK IT UP TOMORROW ON
NBC 10 NEWS AT 4:00.
THIS ISSUE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN
JUST EMMAUS. WE’LL TALK TO OTHER STATES TO
FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO
WRESTLE WITH PFAS CONTAMINATION. >> WE’VE SEEN THIS IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES IN OUR VIEWING AREA
TOO.