Property owners along Jake Alexander Boulevard may wish talk about possible water and air contamination in the Milford Hills area would go away. It could be hurting their property values.

But no one can afford to drop the matter until the public’s safety and health are assured — not the state, not the city, least of all the property owners themselves.

The attention this issue is receiving from state and federal officials gives it both legitimacy and hope. For several years now, Milford Hills residents have complained about the odors coming from the asphalt plants on the other side of Jake Alexander Boulevard. City officials have not responded with the degree of concern or resolve residents would have liked.

Now it appears action may come in a roundabout way, though still the city is not taking a leadership role. Groundwater contamination caused and documented by the state Department of Transportation — and brought out into the open by the son of an ill Milford Hills resident — is finally putting the area under the microscope. State health officials will be in town this week to check the hospital records of people living in the area and assess health risks from asphalt and chemical operations in the area.

This important step, coupled with residents’ decision to team up with the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense Fund, raises the profile of this issue considerably. The state health officials’ visit may provide valuable information.The environmental group can offer the residents expertise, both in environmental matters and in dealing with government agencies.

Testing the air in the Milford Hills-Jake Alexander Boulevard area is another important element in the resolution of this issue. The Division of Air Quality has not yet agreed to do that testing, but this investigation will never be able to conclude without it. Residents need definitive answers about what’s in their water and air and what impact that has on their health.