On January 19, 2007, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection released the Collegeville Area Air Monitoring Report (PDF, 592K). Among the highlights of the report was the following finding which put the Collegeville/Trappe community on alert:

The annual average TCE concentrations in 2005 at the Trappe and Evansburg sites were 0.26 ppbv and 0.14 ppbv, respectively. In comparison, most other Pennsylvania sites in 2005 were near or below the 0.04 ppbv detection limit. The excess lifetime cancer risk due to TCE in 2005 was 1.60 in 10,000 at the Trappe site and 0.88 in 10,000 at the Evansburg site.

We've realized recently that a number of readers have arrived here in search of more information about TCE in (or because of) Collegeville and Trappe, PA. Through some very minor sleuthing, we've realized that at least 3 websites have emerged that are devoted to monitoring the local issue. They are great resources where folks can learn a lot more. And they've been kind enough to mention or link to this blog (thank you), sending a number of new readers our way.

• Talk of the Town: Investigative reporter Jon Goodman's blog, where, "At great risk he has sought to reveal the problem, the cause and the solution."


• Collegeville TCE Watch: Run by A Concerned Citizen who "decided to setup this blog which will be devoted to gathering information about this important issue, and getting our government representatives to fix this problem quickly."


• Concerned Citizens of Collegeville, PA: A Yahoo Groups group run by Liz D. from Trappe. She writes: I envision this site to be a place where everyone can post and read information and share their thoughts and ideas about the air quality problem in our area. A place to discuss what they've read in the paper, what public officials have told them and what they've heard at public meetings they have attended. It is also a place to discuss what progress, if any, has been made and what we can do as a community to make sure that the air quality in Collegeville/Trappe improves for us and our children.

To all who arrived here from those sites above, and to all others in search of info because of or regarding Collegeville/Trappe, welcome. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to be helpful.