Effects of the pollution that is present…

This section of the website will focus on data, information, and research into the potential effects to surface water, groundwater and ultimately human health from known contamination associated with the Riders Dump (Rosedale) Disposal area as documented in the US EPA hazardous waste cleanup website for the Riders Disposal Area. The human health factor would be for past and current residents of the Benshoff Hill/Valley View and Linkville Road and other sections of central and southern Middle Taylor Township who used the water when the “rogue” community public water supply (well water) was in service and until the public drinking water system was extended to these areas out of the City of Johnstown in the mid to late 1970’s. Or it would be for those current or future residents who could, in an unknowingly manner, drill a well now to use the groundwater for consumption, recreation, or other purposes.

Information from the Fact Sheet and Documents in the US EPA website for the Riders Disposal Area as outlined in the “Research 5” portion of this website generally indicated the following contaminants were present:

• Only one portion of one of the documents mentioned the potential presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s);

• Elevated levels of iron, sulfate, manganese and chromium in groundwater;

• Heavy metals, cyanide, chloride, and sulfate are the main contaminants of concern; and

• Testing which showed the presence of aluminum, ammonia, chloride, cyanide, chromium, iron, lead, nitrate, manganese, sulfate, and zinc in surface water, groundwater, and subsurface soils.

Effects to Hinckston Run stream (surface waters and aquatics)

Hinckston Run flows into the Conemaugh River in the Minersville, Cambria City section of the City of Johnstown. It has a 14.9 square mile (9,536 acre) watershed which extends clear north to US Route 22 near Nanty Glo. The Hinckston Run Reservoir (dam) is situated in the lower half of the drainage watershed. Approximately 71 percent of the watershed is forested and about 8 percent is urbanized - highways, roads, homes, businesses, parking lots, etc. The stream above the Hinckston Run reservoir is generally healthy and clean and is routinely stocked annually with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission because it is a cold water fishery. The stream below the reservoir is considered a warm water fishery and is severely impacted and polluted by mine drainage, slag dump runoff, and sediment from severe surface and stream channel erosion.

According to a 2009 macro-invertebrate study of the Hinckston Run stream as performed by the Greater Johnstown Watershed Association (GJWA), the stream’s physical habitat was severely degraded due to extensive channelization throughout the survey area.

Note: Benthic macro-invertebrates are small aquatic organisms which live among stones, logs, sediments, and aquatic plants in the bottom of streams, rivers and lakes. They are large enough to see with the naked eye (macro) and have no backbone (invertebrate). Because different types of macro-invertebrates tolerate different stream conditions and levels of pollution, their presence or absence is used to indicate whether a particular water body is considered as clean or polluted.

Diverse substrate (material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains it’s nourishment) was unavailable in the lower sites along the stream while the upper sites were embedded with iron oxide. The amount of iron oxide that embedded the stream substrate decreased as the stream progressed. The decrease in the iron oxide can be attributed to the alkaline conditions that were present in the stream. The pH of the stream was above 7.0 in all sites causing metals to participate out of solution rapidly. The cause of this neutral pH was attributed to overland flow of melt water from the large slag piles located along the stream. While it appeared that iron oxide decreased downstream, it was still evident on the rocks at the site closest to where Hinckston Run confluences with the Conemaugh River (at Minersville).

The results of the 2009 survey indicated that the Hinckston Run stream macro-invertebrate community is severely impaired. Macro-invertebrate life increased the further downstream, but community structure was very poor. It was indicated that any recovery of the Hinckston Run stream is drastically inhibited by the physical characteristics of the stream and metal loading and the macro-invertebrate community structure indicated that this community is routinely impacted by heavy metals.

Effects to People (from groundwater contamination)

Certain steps must occur for an environmental toxin, toxic or “toxicant” to be introduced to a system, such as surface water or groundwater, and then to cause health impacts to people. First, there must be presence of a certain contaminant. There must be an exposure source and the contaminant must disperse into the environment in some manner and then exposure must occur to cause disease. Exposure occurs through an exposure pathway between the contaminant in the physical environment and the exposed person. An exposure pathway has five parts as follows:

• A source of contamination such as an abandoned mine, industrial waste or emission;

• An environmental medium and transport mechanism such as air, water, or movement through a groundwater aquifer;

• A point of exposure such as a drinking water well;

• A route of exposure such as breathing, drinking, eating, or touching; and

• A receptor population such as people potentially or actually exposed.

When all five parts are present, the exposure pathway is termed "a completed exposure pathway". You can only be exposed to a substance only if you come in contact with it.

The following are known effects of identified contaminants present at the Riders Dump (Rosedale) Disposal Area and which have been found in soils, surface waters, and/or groundwater connected with the site:

Aluminum - No known serious health or other effects. Can precipitate out of water and cause discoloration or increased turbidity.

Ammonia - There is no evidence that ammonia is carcinogenic. Ammonia has a toxic effect on healthy humans only if the intake becomes higher than the capacity for the body to detoxify it. If ammonia is administered in the form of its ammonium salts, the effects of the anion must also be taken into account. With ammonium chloride, the acidotic effects of the chloride ion seem to be of greater importance than those of the ammonium ion. At large doses, ammonium chloride influences metabolism by shifting the acid–base equilibrium, disturbing the glucose tolerance, and reducing tissue sensitivity to insulin.

Arsenic - Is a known carcinogen. Causes acute and chronic toxicity, liver and kidney damage, and decreased blood hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.

Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH’s) - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) are a group of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline. PAH’s are also present in products made from fossil fuels, such as coal-tar pitch, creosote, and asphalt. Exposure to PAH’s may increase the risk of cancer and cause reproductive difficulties. Effects may be either short-term or long-term. Short-term health effects may include symptoms such as eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion. Long-term health effects may include cataracts, kidney and liver damage, and jaundice. Repeated skin contact to the PAH naphthalene can result in redness and inflammation of the skin. Breathing or swallowing large amounts of naphthalene can cause the breakdown of red blood cells. Studies of workers exposed to mixtures of PAHs and other compounds have noted an increased risk of skin, lung, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers.

Cadmium - Replaces zinc biochemically in the body and causes high blood pressure, liver and kidney damage, and anemia. Destroys testicular tissue and red blood cells.

Chloride - No known serious health or other effects. At high levels, deteriorates plumbing, water heaters, and municipal water works equipment.

Chromium - Chromium (Cr) is considered both an essential nutrient and a health hazard because Cr exists in more than one oxidation state. Specifically, Cr in oxidation state +6, written as Cr(VI), is considered harmful even in small intake quantity (dose); whereas, Cr in oxidation state +3, written as Cr(III), is considered essential for good health in moderate intake. Chromium (VI) compounds are considered carcinogenic to humans. Chromium VI causes liver and kidney damage, internal hemorrhaging, respiratory damage, damage to the circulatory system and nerve tissue. Current evidence indicates that Cr(VI) is a cancer agent only by inhalation.

Cyanide - Poisoning is the result to damage of the brain, liver and spleen. Can cause nerve damage and thyroid problems. Cyanide can affect many essential functions of body systems including cardiac, central nervous, endocrine, pulmonary, and vascular.

Heavy Metals - Because of their high degree of toxicity arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury rank among the priority metals that are of public health significance. These metallic elements are considered systemic toxicants that are known to induce multiple organ damage, even at lower levels of exposure. They are also classified as human carcinogens (known or probable) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Among the common environmental toxins associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), heavy metals are the most widely known. Exposure from industrial environmental contamination of groundwater is recognized as an important source of exposure that may result in kidney disease in populations without direct occupational exposure. Lead exposure may result in hypertension, gout, and interstitial nephritis and fibrosis.

Iron - No known serious health or other effects. Imparts a bitter astringent taste to water and a brownish color to laundered clothing and plumbing fixtures.

Lead - A known probable carcinogen. Lead may cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular effects, and reproductive toxicity. It affects red blood cell chemistry and delays normal physical and mental development in babies and young children. Causes slight deficits in attention span, hearing, and learning in children. Can cause increases of blood pressure in some adults.

Manganese - No known serious health or other effects. Causes aesthetic and economic damage and imparts brownish stains to laundry. Affects taste of water and causes dark brown or black stains on plumbing fixtures.

Nitrates - Nitrate (NO₃) is a naturally occurring form of nitrogen found in soil. Nitrogen is essential to all life. Nitrates can enter into well water from surface runoff associated with use of fertilizers used on cropland, parks, golf courses, or lawns and gardens. Other sources include leaching from septic systems, animal manure, land application of municipal or industrial sludge, and natural sources, such as the release of nitrate when bacteria in the soil breaks down organic matter. Nitrate NO₃ itself is a relatively non-toxic substance. Nitrate contamination of groundwater can cause methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder to which infants are particularly susceptible. The risk comes from the reduction of NO₃ to nitrite NO₂ by bacteria , a process which occurs naturally in human saliva and in gastric fluids of infants. When NO₂ is present, the blood compound hemoglobin is converted to methemoglobin which cannot carry oxygen. Methemoglobinemia is rare in adults because in the blood of normal adults, enzymes convert the methemoglobin back to hemoglobin. However, for newborn infants and adults, taking certain medications or with certain diseases, do not have enough enzymes to make this reconversion. Symptoms of methemoglobinemia are bluish mucous membranes and digestive and respiratory problems. Infants suffering from methemoglobinemia may also show intermittent signs of blueness around the mouth, hands, and feet, hence the common name for the condition as “blue baby” syndrome. If the condition is severe, brain damage or death can result. For decades, methemoglobinemia was considered to be the primary health concern due to nitrate ingestion from water. A large body of epidemiological research has since found an elevated risk of cancer, adverse birth outcomes, and other health impacts associated with the presence of nitrate in drinking water. Recent epidemiological studies with large study populations reported statistically significant increases in colorectal cancer risk due to the presence of nitrate in drinking water at elevated levels. National Cancer Institute statistics show that colorectal cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer in the United States.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s) - PCB’s were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications and were domestically manufactured from 1929 until they were banned in 1979. They have a range of toxicity and vary in consistency from thin, light-colored liquids to yellow or black waxy solids, PCB’s can still be released into the environment from poorly maintained hazardous waste sites that contained Illegal or improper dumping of PCB wastes. PCB’s do not readily break down once in the environment. They can remain for long periods of time cycling between air, water and soil and can be carried long distances. In general, the lighter the form PCB’s are, the further they can be transported from the source of contamination. PCB’s have been demonstrated to cause a variety of adverse health effects. Studies in animals provide conclusive evidence that PCB’s cause cancer. Studies in humans support evidence for potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of PCB’s. The different health effects of PCB’s may be interrelated. Alterations in one system may have significant implications for the other systems of the body. Studies of workers exposed to PCB’s found increases in rare liver cancers and malignant melanoma. Studies in animals and humans suggest that PCB’s may have serious potential effects on the immune systems of exposed individuals. Since PCB’s suppress the immune system and immune system suppression has been demonstrated as a risk factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, suppression of the immune system is a possible mechanism for PCB-induced cancer. Studies of reproductive effects have also been carried out in human populations exposed to PCB’s. These studies showed the potential for decreased birth weight and a significant decrease in gestational age with increasing exposures to PCB’s and suggests that reproductive effects may be important in humans following exposures to PCB’s. Studies in humans have suggested the potential for neurobehavioral effects of PCB’s including learning deficits and changes in activity associated with exposures to PCB’s. There has been significant discussion and research on the effects of environmental contaminants of PCB’s on the endocrine system. The endocrine system is the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things. PCB’s have been demonstrated to exert effects on thyroid hormone levels which are critical for normal growth and development. Lastly, a variety of other non-cancer effects of PCB’s have been reported, including dermal (skin) and ocular (eyes/vision) effects, liver toxicity issues, and elevated blood pressure, serum triglyceride, and serum cholesterol levels.

Sulfate - No known serious health or other effects. Forms hard scales on boilers and heat exchangers. Can change the taste of water and has a laxative effect in high doses.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) - Can cause cancer and liver damage, anemia, gastrointestinal disorders, skin irritations, exhaustion, weight loss, damage to the nervous system, and respiratory tract irritations.

Zinc - No known serious health or other effects. Imparts an undesirable taste to water.

In a December 2015 application by the City of Johnstown to the US EPA for a $400K community-wide assessment grant (ie. Brownfields), the following was stated on Pages 3 and 4 of the application paperwork:

“Johnstown brownfields pose serious health, welfare and environmental risks. Previous assessment activities on similar properties have revealed hazardous materials in the soil and groundwater, including:

• High concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), sulfur compounds, and complex cyanide, volatile or phenolic compounds; and

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and heavy metals.

The project team expects to find a similar mix of hazardous materials during the project, resulting in subsurface soil and groundwater pollution. EPA has designated some of these substances as priority pollutants. As such, they are highly carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic. Potential impacts include:

PAH: High prenatal exposure to PAH is associated with lower IQ and childhood asthma. The Center for Children’s Environmental Health states that exposure to PAH pollution during pregnancy is related to adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight, premature delivery and heart malformations. Cord blood of babies exposed to PAH pollution has been linked to cancer.

PCBs: PCBs can cause cancer, as well as other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Maternal exposure occurring prior to pregnancy can result in brain damage to the developing fetus.

Cadmium: Long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium may cause kidney disease. Other effects are lung damage and fragile bones. Cadmium can cause iron-poor blood, high blood pressure, liver disease, and nerve or brain damage. Cadmium may also cause cancer.

Chromium: While chromium is an essential nutrient, too much chromium can cause health problems, including skin rashes, upset stomachs and ulcers, respiratory problems, weakened immune systems, kidney and liver damage, alteration of genetic material, lung cancer, and death.

Copper: Copper is vital to the health of all living things. However, excess copper intake causes stomach upset, nausea and diarrhea, and can lead to tissue injury and disease.

Lead: Lead is toxic to many organs and tissues. Low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, leading to behavior and learning problems, lower IQs, hearing problems, slowed growth, and anemia. Lead ingestion by children can cause seizures, comas and even death. Pregnant women are also highly vulnerable to lead exposure, which can result in serious effects on the pregnancy and the developing fetus.

Mercury: Exposure to mercury can impair neurological development, as well as damage the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system and the kidneys.

Nickel: Eating or drinking high levels of nickel can produce lung disease in dogs and rats and affect the stomach, blood, liver, kidneys, and immune system in rats and mice, as well as their reproduction and development.

Zinc: The short-term effects of ingesting high levels of zinc include stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Long-term, zinc can cause anemia, decrease good cholesterol levels and cause infertility.”

In an April 20, 2003 article from NWI.com about the Riders Dump site in Johnstown, PA and entitled “Value of Gigantic Slag Heaps in Question”, it was stated that “new technology developed in the last decade makes it possible to extract from slag a valuable substance known as ferromanganese, which is used to harden steel” and “only about three percent of the slag is useful ferromanganese, but with an estimated 11 million tons of slag at Rider's Dump, there is enough to sustain an extraction operation for a dozen or more years.” In the article, a professor of metallurgy and mineral processing at Penn State University was quoted as saying “toxic materials such as arsenic could also be in the dump, which would have to be cleaned up if mining were to begin.”

For more on contaminants in drinking water and associated potential health effects, see the following 2016 version of the US EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (Note: click on the pop-out tab in the upper right-hand corner of this graphic to activate the whole chart):

Synopsis

One of the things that struck me as I researched into contaminants associated with the Riders Dump (Rosedale) Disposal Area, their presence in the soils-surface waters-groundwater of the Hinckston Run stream valley and other areas of influence like the Valley View/Benshoff Hill and Linkville Road sections of central and southern Middle Taylor Township, and their effects to people was the repeated pattern of effects mentioned to those organs and other human systems that regulate or produce certain hormones - such as the ENDOCRINE system.

The human ENDOCRINE system is responsible for regulating many of the body's processes. It includes all the organs which produce hormones - chemicals which are delivered via the blood to help regulate our mood, growth, metabolism, and reproduction. The system includes important organs such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys, ovaries (females), and testes (males). It also includes glands such as the adrenals, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands, and the thymus gland. The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin, and it plays a major role in regulating blood glucose levels. It also produces insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough or any insulin. There is no clear cause of Type 1 diabetes. Some evidence suggests that it results from genetic or environmental factors. An estimated 1.25 million people in the United States live with Type 1 diabetes. I find that Middle Taylor Township seems to have more than adequate contribution and representation, on a per capita basis, when it comes to this number.

If you think about all the friends, family and neighbors that you know or knew, who live or lived in the Benshoff Hill/Valley View and Linkville Road sections of central and southern Middle Taylor Township, and have been diagnosed with or succumbed to diseases or serious medical conditions associated with these systems (like diabetes), then perhaps you can make the connection as I have. You can feel in your heart of hearts that there has to be a connection. It is difficult to prove decisively, but the evidence is there undoubtedly.

Cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, diabetes and many other serious medical conditions - some of which that seem to be just too strange to occur to so many people in such a distinct geographic area. Many have been affected. Most just assumed that it was because of genetics, family history, poor lifestyle choices, or just plain old bad luck. Few ever knew about the contributing environmental factors that were present and still exist. Few ever told their stories to others. Few ever knew how this affected them. I wish those that passed would have known. I wish those that still are with us can learn now.

For more on the endocrine system, visit: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/endocrine-system-facts#1

For more about diabetes, visit: https://www.diabetesresearch.org/what-is-diabetes

Last Note: I will end this “Research 6” section with something I mentioned back in the “As a teen” section in the “Introduction 1” portion of this website and due to something that happened too more recently. In that section, I had mentioned my grandfather and how he developed severe depression and schizophrenia and after his passing in 1982, an autopsy was performed. The results of that autopsy indicated extremely high levels of lead in nearly all of his brain tissue. Although I recognize that his condition may not be directly related to the subject contents of this research, his exposures were a result of combinations of just about everything we talked about - direct exposure from working in the mills, living next to the mills (air pollution), and the drinking water (groundwater pollution). In addition and more recently, I had a very good friend from the township who was my age and who I grew up who later in life ended up having some mental health issues and suicide was the end result. I have never had that type of tragic end happen so close to me and it makes me think even more about whether the information presented here had something to do with that. We will just never know. Time will go on and the connection will never be made. But most of all my research and presented information shows the relationship between certain contaminants and the health effects and medical conditions they can cause, ie. physical effects. Not much is mentioned above about the effects of such contaminants to mental health. There is much recent research and study into evidence which shows how components of air pollution can be toxic to the brain. Although mental illnesses like schizophrenia develop due to a complex interplay of genetic predispositions and life experiences or exposures, genetics alone do not account entirely for variations in mental health and disease. Researchers have long suspected that genetic, neuro-chemical and environmental factors interact at different levels to affect the onset, severity and progression of these illnesses. For more about this, you can visit this link:

PLOS. "Is pollution linked to psychiatric disorders?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 August 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820141604.htm>.

Other notifications made…

It was felt to be of certain importance that other stakeholders, stewards of local water resources, and the governmental jurisdiction of Middle Taylor Township be informed of the August 30, 2013 letter generated and sent to the US EPA and also of their response letter dated September 24, 2013. (See the “Research 5” portion of this website to view these letters.)

As such, copies of both letters were provided to the following three (3) groups:

1. The Stonycreek - Conemaugh River Improvement Project (SCRIPS) watershed group;

2. The Middle Taylor Township Supervisors; and

3. The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper.

Stonycreek - Conemaugh River Improvement Project

In follow-up discussions and correspondences with a member of the SCRIPS group, the following purpose/goals were relayed:

• “To obtain clear answer as to why the public water system was extended out of Johnstown to the Benshoff Hill area of Middle Taylor Township in the 1970’s. The decision to do this by the public water authority/agency should easily be able to be found in public records. A capital investment to expand the system of this kind is not done under the radar and the cost/benefit to provide this service based on the topography and infrastructure (pipe, tanks, etc.) needed to add a relatively small amount of new customers from that area just does not make sense to me. There should be meeting minutes, board resolutions, strategic plan or other similar item which gives clear reason to support that decision somewhere. I fear that the extension was due to other reasons such as knowledge of potential groundwater contamination and threats to the public health safety and welfare which were not properly divulged to the citizens of Benshoff Hill and Middle Taylor Township by adequate public meetings or advertisement. (Note: I am not convinced that it was solely to comply with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. Also the current determinations made for the Rider Disposal Area site that “there are no unacceptable human exposure to contamination that can reasonably be expected under current land and groundwater use conditions” and “current human exposures under control” do not account for the period of time between contamination and prior to when the public drinking water supply was extended, when folks were on private wells systems.)

• “Ultimately the purpose of this is to perhaps make a case for qualification for more grants or funding to the Greater Johnstown community to cleanup additional steel mill contaminated sites or to do comprehensive groundwater/groundwater contamination studies of the Benshoff Hill/Middle Taylor area and potential groundwater remediation (in addition to the site cleanups).”

Middle Taylor Township Supervisors

I got no response whatsoever from the Middle Taylor Township supervisors.

Johnstown Tribune-Democrat

I made several outreach attempts and subsequently got several courtesy inquiries from the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper. However, to date there has been no formal inquiry, investigation, article, or report published by that organization. I continue to reach out to them on a routine basis.

Others

Any chance I get I tell others. Some listen. Some do not. Some understand. Some do not. Some care. Some do not.

Next steps…

I believe in order to achieve the purpose and goals outlined in the “General” section of this website, the next steps in the process are to continue with the collection and review of information, data, and research and to spread the word about it when any opportunity presents itself. The following steps are pertinent to achieve this:

• Continue to tell everyone I possibly can about this;

• Seek assistance from a local person or persons, preferably from Middle Taylor Township, who has a vested interest in the topic and who will aid in the effort to continue to collect information and data, perform research, and help achieve the stated purpose and goals;

• Continue to interview and collect information and data from past and current residents of Middle Taylor Township who may have historical knowledge of any of the information, data and research presented within this website;

• Find any past monitoring or testing records of the old “rogue” public drinking water system and/or it’s source groundwater system;

• Perform current monitoring or testing of water at the location of the past “rogue” public drinking water system at the pumphouse site/lot, which still exists today;

• Visit the offices of and perform a full due diligence review of any and all data, information, and reports in case files for the Riders Disposal Area at applicable regional offices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP);

• Request by legal means or by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) methods, any past records from the township, township water authority, and/or the municipal water authority about official decisions to extend the public drinking water supply system out of the City Johnstown in the mid to late 1970’s to serve additional customers in the Valley View/Benshoff Hill and Linkville Road sections of Middle Taylor Township and beyond;

• Advertise and conduct a town hall type meeting - at the Middle Taylor Volunteer Fire Company fire hall, Middle Taylor Township municipal building, or at a similar community setting - with any interested past and current resident of Middle Taylor Township to present all this information, data and research in detail and provide opportunity to publicly discuss;

• Continue to seek local media coverage on the topic;

• Engage assistance from local/state appointed or elected officials; and

• Just keep continuing.