TOMS RIVER, NJ The state Department of Environmental Protection is testing well water at homes in the Windsor Park section of Toms River after wells in the area have tested positive for two cancer-causing chemicals, Toms River officials announced.

The testing is being conducted in the Windsor Park section of the township, and was prompted by a homeowner's report that their well had tested positive for trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, township officials said in a notice on the township's website. The town contacted the Department of Environmental Protection immediately after being contacted by the homeowner last year.

There were 41 wells identified for a first round of testing, and five tested positive for the chemicals, according to preliminary information the Department of Environmental Protection provided to township officials. Plans are in the works to extend the testing to an additional 42 wells, "extending several hundred feet away from any well that has tested positive," the notice said.

Donald Guardian, the township's business administrator, said township officials are scheduled to meet with DEP officials on Friday to discuss what's being done and future steps to be taken to address the problem.

The wells that are being tested are in the area of Windsor Avenue, Oceanic Drive, and Peddie Street, where the homes are not connected to city water.

In the initial round of testing, there were 26 wells that "were not given access," according to the notice. Patch has contacted DEP officials seeking clarification of what that means, as well as information on the levels of the chemicals that have been found in the positive tests.

The township's notice said "Historically, there had been some wells adjacent to this area that had tested positive in the past, and city water was extended to those areas. Until now, wells in this area were not affected."

It's not clear from the notice what area or how close to Windsor Park area the previous contamination has been. Wells in the Silverton section were found to be contaminated in the late 1980s as a result of chemical drums that were disposed of at the Dover Township Municipal Landfill, according to a state Department of Health study of childhood cancer rates in Toms River.

Toms River also has two other well-known contamination sites: Reich Farm, off Route 9, and the former Ciba-Geigy site off Route 37.

The two chemicals, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene (TCE and PCE), found in the well water of the Windsor Park homeowner have been linked to health issues including cancer as a result of long-term exposure.

Trichloroethylene, which can cause kidney cancer, was originally developed as an anesthetic, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is a volatile, colorless liquid organic chemical and is used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons and as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment. TCE is also used in some household products, such as cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, tool cleaners, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners and spot removers. Commercial dry cleaners also use trichloroethylene as a spot remover.

Perchloroethylene is a colorless liquid that is also called tetrachloroethylene, and is primarily used for dry cleaning fabrics and degreasing metals, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's also found in adhesives, spot removers, shoe polish, printing inks, paint products, and household cleaners. Long-term exposure can cause changes in mood, memory, attention and reaction time, as well as cancer.

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Chemical Contamination Found In 5 Toms River Homes Wells - Toms River, NJ Patch