DEP advises Paulsboro parents not to let babies drink the water
(Shumita Basu/for NewsWorks)
Babies younger than one year old in the South Jersey town of Paulsboro should not drink the tap water, according to a recent advisory from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
At issue are elevated levels of PFNA, a toxic chemical used in plastics manufacturing.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we consulted with the [state] department of health and are advising that residents use bottled water for powdered or concentrated infant formula and all other drinking uses for children up to the age of one year,” said DEP spokesman Lawrence Hajna.
In the fall, the DEP found elevated levels of PFNA in the town’s water supply. The agency is issuing guidance now because the town’s other well for drinking water went offline due to elevated radium levels, Hajna said.
PFNA has been an issue near Paulsboro for several years.
Last summer, an environmental group pressured state and federal regulators to take action.
The borough of Paulsboro recently signaled its intent to sue the manufacturer thought to be responsible for the contamination, Solvay Solexis.
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