Contamination in Wells G and H

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In the spring of 1979 it was discovered that someone had left 184 barrels of industrial waste on a plot of land in northeast Woburn just a half mile from Wells G and H. The barrels were removed before they leaked, but given the proximity to the wells, a state inspector tested water samples from Wells G and H. On May 22 the results showed that both wells were heavily contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial solvent used to dissolve grease and oil. The concentration of TCE in Well G was 267 parts per billion (ppb), and the levels in Well H were 183 ppb. The wells also contained tetrachloroethylene (PCE), also known as perc, another industrial solvent. The concentrations of both contaminants were above the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and the wells were shut down.

Other contaminants had recently been discovered in north Woburn at the site of the old Merrimac Chemical Company. A partially filled lagoon was found to contain arsenic, lead, and chromium (see newspaper article on contaminated lagoon). The construction crew that had found the lagoon also found several buried pits containing the rotting remains of animal hides and slaughterhouse waste.

In the video below Woburn Times reporter Charlie Ryan discusses the discovery and extent of the contamination found in the area of Wells G and H.

The Leukemia Cluster

There was widespread concern in the wake of the disclosures about the contaminants found at the old Merrimac Chemical Company and the contamination of Wells G and H with TCE and PCE. Reverend Bruce Young, the minister at Trinity Episcopal Church in Woburn, had had many conversations with Anne Anderson about her belief that something in the environment was responsible for the leukemia cases in Woburn. By this time Anne knew of eight cases. When Reverend Young read the newspaper reports, Anne's beliefs suddenly seemed credible. It seemed to Young that the next logical step was to determine how many cases of leukemia there were in Woburn, but at the time neither the state nor the city had a surveillance system that kept track of incident cancer cases.

Reverend Young decided to "...write a letter to be published in the Woburn Daily Times asking parents who had a child diagnosed with leukemia in the last fifteen years to come to a meeting at Trinity Episcopal [Source]." More than thirty people attended the meeting on October 4, 1979, including parents of children with leukemia and concerned citizens. This was the beginning of the group For a Cleaner Environment (FACE). FACE subsequently became a voice for the citizens of Woburn on environmental and public health impacts associated with the contaminated drinking water. Reverend Bruce distributed a survey, and when they were returned, they had identified 12 leukemia cases over a 15-year period. Eight of the cases occurred in east Woburn, and six of those were in the Pine Street neighborhood just south of the "Fifteen Acres" plot of land and Wells G and H. Rev. Young set up a meeting with Jimmy's doctor to share his findings.

Were the cases identified by Anne and Reverend Young, particularly the cases around Pine Street neighborhood really a cluster? Some epidemiologists attribute apparent clusters to the Texas Sharpshooter Effect.

Economic Influences in Woburn's Industri-Plex

While the health issues and the potential environmental affects were being reported in the media various stakeholders were pursuing development of this area referred to as Industri-Plex. During the 1970s the site included some occupied office buildings and industries, railroad tracks, power line right-of-ways, and old abandoned manufacturing facilities. During this time, the property was purchased for the development of a shopping mall and industrial park. Excavation uncovered buried animal wastes, creating a hydrogen sulfide gas odor, referred to as the "Woburn odor" that invaded residential areas and mobilized the public. Efforts to stop development took years. The developer had permission from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the agency responsible for hazardous waste at the time, to excavate and consolidate waste material on the property. In doing so four piles of hide wastes, commingled with soils containing arsenic, chromium and lead were built.

The Woburn city engineer, Thomas Mernin, who later died of leukemia, was anxious for the industrial development to proceed. He cited the advantages to the city and the favorable location of some of the contaminated properties. In a second video Mernin and developer William Dannolfo indicate their interest in moving forward with development plans. Mr Dannolfo says that the plans should not wait for citizens to be convinced by research that there is no harm from environmental exposures.

Woburn residents along with their representatives from FACE took their complaints to the local government agencies, the DEP, EPA and Army Corps of Engineers who filed an injunction against further development of the property.