article: tioxic spill from vaccine manufacturer, no report one year later...

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The Merck release occurred last June 13 in a vaccine research lab,

when potassium thiocyanate apparently was dumped down a drain.

One year later, no report on toxic spill

A week after trouble on the Wissahickon, Merck said it was

responsible. State, U.S. probes go on.

By Sandy Bauers

Inquirer Staff Writer

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20070613_One_year_lat

er__no_report_on_toxic_spill.html

One year after a cyanide-compound spill into Wissahickon Creek cut

off part of Philadelphia's drinking-water supply, halted recreation

on the Schuylkill, and killed at least 1,000 fish, state and federal

regulatory agencies have not completed their investigation.

Merck & Co. Inc., which acknowledged responsibility a week after the

incident, has not been fined.

Environmental advocate Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper,

said she was surprised the investigation was taking so long,

especially considering that the company revealed it was the source

of the pollution.

" We had an acknowledgment, " she said. " One year later, we should

have some sort of enforcement action. "

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Harney said

that the case was a high priority, that discussions among the DEP,

the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Merck had been

productive, and that " we're pleased with the progress we've made to

this point. "

He said that Merck, which the DEP criticized last July for impeding

its investigation, was cooperating.

Harney said officials had since determined the discharge was an

isolated incident.

Merck spokeswoman Connie Wickersham blamed human error.

She said she expected the company to be fined: " Bottom line, it

shouldn't have happened. "

Meanwhile, she said, the company has taken appropriate steps to

prevent a recurrence and is talking with the regulatory agencies

about making additional site improvements.

The two agencies conducted initial emergency investigations, and

Merck submitted detailed paperwork explaining the incident to both

agencies in September.

Then the DEP and the EPA teamed for a two-week, comprehensive

inspection of the company's West Point site, officials for both

agencies said.

EPA spokeswoman Bonnie said that from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, a

contingent of 28 inspectors from both agencies reviewed the

company's air, water and hazardous-waste permits, looked at how the

company handles and stores regulated chemicals, observed work at the

facility, and examined records.

" It's a huge facility. It's an important facility, " said. " We

wanted to see if there were other issues, other vulnerabilities, so

we could deal with them. "

She said the final report could be released this summer, possibly

within a few weeks.

After such an inspection, " there is a tremendous amount of

analysis, " said.

" This is not a speeding ticket, " she said. " This is not one little

meter with one automobile passing by. It is intentionally a complex

look, an overall and comprehensive look to both identify potential

violations and look for opportunities for pollution prevention and

toxic reductions. "

The Riverkeeper, van Rossum, faulted the company for not following

through on initial pledges.

" Merck was trying to peddle support shortly after the event, getting

input and expressing concern, " she said. Since then, " I don't think

we've seen Merck take any strong actions to try to restore the

Wissahickon or try to somehow acknowledge and make up not only for

that particular spill, but all of the impacts they've had on the

Wissahickon over the years. "

Merck's Wickersham said that before her company can do any

projects, " we have to get all this approved by the agency. We just

can't go out there and do things. The agency really has a better

perspective on that. "

Neither the EPA nor the DEP would discuss potential fines or

restoration to the creek.

Joanne Dahme, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Water Department,

said in an e-mail that the agencies had " kept us in the loop as to

the potential projects/related funding that Merck will be required

to implement as a result of the spill. We are confident that the

projects will result in environmental improvements to the

Wissahickon Creek. "

Over the last year, Dahme said, the Water Department has been able

to recruit more upstream wastewater treatment plants to participate

in its early-warning system, alerting downstream water users to

upstream events.

" Facilities such as Upper Gwynedd have been dedicated about checking

in with even a minor incident, " Dahme said. " Communications have

improved significantly. "

The Merck release occurred last June 13 in a vaccine research lab,

when potassium thiocyanate apparently was dumped down a drain.

It took about a day for the substance to reach the Upper Gwynedd

sewage treatment plant, where it reacted with the chlorine used in

the water-treatment process and became lethal to fish.

Workers discovered the problem about 1 p.m. June 14, when they

noticed low chlorine levels in the plant's discharge water. Looking

out the window, they saw dead fish just below their discharge pipe.

Two Philadelphia water intakes near the spot where the Wissahickon

flows into the Schuylkill were closed, but both reopened within

days. Recreation on both waterways was halted, very nearly canceling

that weekend's 148th annual Schuylkill Navy Regatta.

Environmental officials, investigators for the state Fish and Boat

Commission, staff at the wastewater treatment plant and others

frantically tried to find out what was wrong, what had been spilled,

and whether there was further danger to the stream or to people.

Three companies, including Merck, discharge into the Upper Gwynedd

system. Merck contacted the EPA on June 20, a week after the

incident, to say it had spilled 25 gallons by mistake.

Company spokeswoman Wickersham explained then that Merck had been

searching for cyanide, as instructed by environmental officials, not

a cyanide compound