The meeting is being organized by the Moorestown Water Group and Erin Brockovich’s investigatory team.
Moorestown resident Michael Babcock referenced the ongoing investigation into the town’s water supply by renowned environmental activist Erin Brockovich and her team during Town Council’s meeting last week. He had one request — for council to agree to converse with Brockovich’s team of specialists.
A member of the Moorestown Water Group, Babcock explained Brockovich’s water expert who is overseeing the Moorestown case, Bob Bowcock, has made the resident aware the team’s research is complete. According to Babcock, Brockovich’s team now feels it can identify who may be the polluter of the town’s water supply.
“These are not natural contaminants, they are man-made,” Babcock said. “We need to find out whatever was dumped at the sites of our water plants and hold whoever dumped them accountable.”
To share the conclusive findings with the public, Bowcock is working with the Moorestown Water Group to schedule an official Town Hall meeting. This event does not yet have a date, but is being planned for the first or second week in April.
In response to Babcock’s update, Councilman Mike Locatell immediately asked Babcock if anyone from Brockovich’s team has ever tried to reached out to or meet with a member of council. Mayor Manny Delgado said he was not aware of any attempt at communication from the environmentalist’s team.
“Apparently [Bowcock] did [reach out] last year in the fall,” Babcock said. “I was kind of surprised when he said at the time that the township had no interest.”
Although Babcock was unsure as to who exactly it was within the township Bowcock reached out to, he explained it was because of this uncertainty that he was standing before council. With time having passed, a new mayor and a new member on council, Babcock wanted to ask if council would now be willing to have an open conversation with Brockovich’s team.
“We would definitely be interested,” Locatell said.
All council members expressed similar views, and Councilwoman Stacey Jordan additionally suggested Babcock contact the Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Protection Agency to ask representatives to attend the Town Hall meeting as well.
