The novel, A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr consists of the true story of Woburn, Massachusetts, a small suburb of Boston, and its battle with contaminated ground water. In this true-to-life portrayal of the plight of local citizen's dealing with the toxic chemical trichloroethylene (TCE), an alarming percentage of children began to fall ill with Leukemia. The chemical had unknowingly infiltrated the city's ground water supply. For years the residents of Woburn complained about the drinking water that was later proven to be the source of the Leukemia outbreak. The water which never tasted or smelled correctly was under constant criticism by the residents, the town officials continually assured them that everyone was safe but the water was never tested for TCE. However this was just one incident. Throughout the United States people ingest contaminated ground water all the time and may not even know it. Presently in New Jersey the cancer rates in local communities are beginning to increase. Industrial centers are often to blame for ground water contamination largely due to illegal dumping. But sometimes naturally occurring elements, like Radium, can be just as dangerous as compounds created by mankind. This is the situation that is happening in New Jersey and it is causing quite a scare. Ground water, a vital source for America's never-ending water needs, is being contaminated by many substances and in many areas. This investigation will explore how the toxins were introduced into local environments and what is being done to rectify the situation.
The Woburn Case, although not the first case of contamination, created a national "buzz" about the safety and quality of drinking water because of the large legal battle that ensued. The WR Grace Co. and the Riley Tannery, a division of Beatrice foods, were accused of illegally dumping the cleaning solvent trichloroethylene or TCE, which then proceeded to infiltrate the ground water (Harr, 385).