New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Mix-up May Have Led to No Water Fluoridation Public Notice

A communication gap at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection may have contributed to the public not being informed of the removal of fluoride from the borough’s water supply.

DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said Hightstown did notify a DEP field inspector in September 2010 when the fluoride was removed from the plant; however, the field inspector did not notify the DEP’s Bureau of Safe Drinking Water because he did not realize the removal of fluoride triggered public notification.

“This is another bit of information we didn’t have and this confirms the need for an investigation, a closer look at what happened,” council member Robert Thibault said. “This seems to indicate at least part of where problems could lie, within the DEP.”

At Monday’s council meeting some council members called for a committee to investigate why the public was not notified sooner. Thibault and Susan Bluth are on the committee.

Mayor Steven Kirson and council president Larry Quattrone both said records show Hightstown followed the proper steps in 2010 to notify the DEP.

“Hopefully we all recognize that there was no intention by the water department not to be forthcoming,” Kirson said.