Last year, Rep. Harder pressed the EPA Administrator on the failure to regulate a known toxin in Manteca’s water supply

Contamination cleanup efforts in Manteca are underway

March 20, 2023 - WASHINGTON – Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) released the following statement after learning that Shell Oil and Dow Chemical have finally been required to take responsibility for contaminating Manteca’s water supply. Harder has been pushing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and both corporations to take responsibility and accountability.

Last year, Rep. Harder asked the EPA Administrator in a hearing to explain why his agency failed to regulate and remove 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP), which has been impacting Manteca’s water supply. Rep. Harder also demanded Shell Oil Company and Dow Chemical Company, the original polluters who allowed TCP to contaminate Manteca’s water, to take responsibility for the damage they caused. Watch Rep. Harder’s line of questioning HERE.

“I will always fight to ensure San Joaquin families can drink the water coming out of their tap without worrying it will make their kids sick,” said Rep. Harder. “I’m glad these multi-billion dollar oil and chemical corporations are finally funding cleanup efforts for contamination they caused in Manteca many decades ago, but there’s no reason it should have taken so long. Access to safe drinking water should be a right for everyone and I won’t allow anyone to get away with contaminating our communities.”

This contamination occurred in the 1950s and 1960s – the TCP was identified three decades ago and continued to impact the water supply for generations of Manteca residents. This type of water contamination is not an urgent, acute emergency – TCP poses risks after long-term exposure.
Source: Congressman Josh Harder