Georgetown Neighborhood Voices Concerns in Homestead Campground Site

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(GEORGETOWN, Del) – Members of rural Georgetown are coming together to voice their concerns about the latest in an ongoing contamination of groundwater in the area, one that’s been going on for over 20 years.

The site in question is the Homestead Campground site where the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has been monitoring contamination levels since the mid-2000s.

And local homeowners are looking for answers.

“Homeowners who live on Prettyman(Road), which is, like, around the corner of me, had received notices of this. And the builder who built my development, who’s still building, has never disclosed this information to us. So I’m trying to figure out who is responsible to tell us this existed,” says local homeowner, Carol Veraldi.

The contaminant in question is Trichloroethylene, or TCE, which can move through soil into groundwater and soil gas.

Tom O’Donnell of Georgetown tells WMDT, “The concern is, do we have to notify any potential home buyers if we choose to sell our lot? We were not notified that there was any kind of a, toxic plume underground when we bought in. And that’s why we’re a little upset.”

DNREC is surveying wells in addition to soil samples to see the impact the contaminated plume is having.

With one homeowner hoping it can lead to a solution.

“I think it’s very important, you know, so we can get a handle on anything that’s concerning for the community and for Delaware’s health,” says Georgetown resident, Milton Miller.

According to DNREC, they’re conducting passive soil gas survey and groundwater sampling along Gravel Hill Road.