Mar 29, 2006 9:00 am US/Eastern
Three Arrested In Massachusetts Water Scare
BLACKSTONE, Mass. (CBS) ―
Police arrested three teenagers in connection with a break-in at a water facility as more than 9,000 area residents waited to hear if their drinking water had been contaminated.
Someone cut the barbed wire around the facility late Monday, cut lines to an alarm, and then damaged an electrical panel and a vent at the top of a 1.3-million-gallon water storage tank, authorities said.
A 5-gallon container with a strange odor was found on top of the tank, said Ed Coletta, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Blackstone Police said Wednesday that two 15-year-old boys now face felony charges and that a 15-year-old girl is also a suspect in the break-in. They had received reports about three teenagers seen running from the area that night.
The water system serves the town of Blackstone and about four dozen homes in neighboring North Smithfield, R.I., about 55 miles south of Boston.
Authorities ruled out terrorism on Tuesday, and the FBI decided not to pursue the case, said Dr. David Gifford, director of the Rhode Island Health Department.
Still, a water ban was in effect while the water and container were being tested for biological or chemical contaminants, Gifford said. He said the test results were expected Wednesday at the earliest.
The Blackstone-Millville school district canceled Wednesday classes as a precaution, even though no illnesses had been reported, and residents stocked up on bottled water. School officials on Tuesday had locked the bathrooms, rented portable toilets and provided bottled water for students.
"I'm wondering, 'OK, how bad is it?"' said Charlene Gignac, a 40-year-old convenience store clerk who said she had taken a shower. "I still have a pulse and I'm still kicking."
Some residents said authorities should have warned them sooner.
Lori Wadsworth, 40, of Blackstone, said people couldn't help but wonder about terrorism. Even in a small town, feelings have changed since Sept. 11, she said.
"We wouldn't have thought twice about it. We would have thought it was mischievous kids," Wadsworth said. "Now you're wondering 'Could it be?' Who would come to Blackstone to terrorize the citizens here?"
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
