Robert Spiegel, Edison Wetlands Association’s Executive Director, was recently interviewed by Mary Heyns, aka “Eco Mary”, of 90.3 The Core about the Kin-Buc landfill.

Check out the entire segment, as heard on Core of The Matter, at Soundcloud.

The post Kin-Buc Landfill, Then and Now appeared first on Blue Raritan.

Groups Call for Immediate Action on Disaster Related Toxic Discharges

New website, NJToxicFlood.org, launched to publicize disaster related water pollution

The post Groups call for action after toxic disaster hits Bay appeared first on Blue Raritan.

Senator Also Calls for Additional Assessment of NJ Superfund Sites After Sandy

Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224
Thursday, November 29, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC—At today’s Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing on Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced that he will introduce legislation that would protect public health by allowing Congress to provide emergency funding to contain pollution at Superfund sites following a natural disaster like Sandy.

The “Superfund Emergency Response Act of 2012” also would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a study on the vulnerability of Superfund sites to extreme weather events and develop a plan to better protect these sites from future natural disasters.

“Flooding and high winds like we saw during Superstorm Sandy can damage Superfund sites and unleash toxic pollution into our air, water and communities. As extreme weather becomes more common, we must take steps to make sure Superfund sites do not present an even greater risk to public health after a storm or disaster,” said Lautenberg, Chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health, which has jurisdiction over the Superfund program.

In addition to the legislation announced at today’s hearing, Lautenberg released a letter to EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck calling for an additional assessment of Superstorm Sandy’s impact on Superfund sites in New Jersey.

“Specifically, the Raritan Bay Slag Site, a Superfund site in Sayreville, includes a seawall and jetty that are contaminated with lead slag, a byproduct of metal smelting.  This contamination has tainted the surrounding area with lead and other heavy metals that are potentially toxic to humans.  At least one sample taken near the site following Superstorm Sandy has shown lead levels above the recreational limit.  Since we share the goal of ensuring that no one in New Jersey is at risk from toxic pollution, I request an additional assessment of whether toxic contaminants leached from any Superfund sites into the surrounding environment,” Lautenberg wrote to Enck.

A copy of Lautenberg’s letter to Administrator Enck can be found here.

###

State and Federal Regulators work to clean toxic debris from Hurricane Sandy.

The post Raritan Bay pollution spurs Federal Action! appeared first on Blue Raritan.

The post El Paso site, Keasbey, NJ appeared first on Blue Raritan.

The post Scenery along the Raritan River appeared first on Blue Raritan.

The post Wildlife of the Raritan River appeared first on Blue Raritan.

As a result of urging by Pallone, the Raritan Bay Slag site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in 2009.  The EPA conducted an in-depth investigation of the contamination to determine how best to clean it up over the long term and determined the most effective course of action will be to remove contaminants from the site instead of landfilling the material.

Click here to continue reading this story.

The post Pallone Praises Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site Cleanup Plan at EPA Public Meeting appeared first on Blue Raritan.

The Raritan Bay Slag site consists of three sectors that contain lead slag, a byproduct of metal smelting. This lead slag was used to construct a seawall and a jetty along the southern shore of the Raritan Bay in Old Bridge and Sayreville. The first sector is the Laurence Harbor seawall, adjacent to the Old Bridge Waterfront Park in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township. The second sector consists of the western jetty in Sayreville and extends from the Cheesequake Creek Inlet into Raritan Bay. The third sector is Margaret’s Creek and is approximately 50 acres and has elevated lead levels along with areas of slag and battery casings. The EPA proposed plan will address contamination in all three sectors.

Click here to continue reading this story.

The post USEPA: EPA Releases Plan to Remove Lead at Raritan Bay Superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville appeared first on Blue Raritan.

The former want to implement a cleanup program — which will take another 10 years and $204 million — and move on. The latter fear that the plan will contribute to flooding and will not protect the state’s drinking water.

The site is located adjacent to the Raritan River and lies above the Brunswick Aquifer, New Jersey’s second-largest source of drinking water. Area residents are serviced by a public water supply that provides a safe source of water.

The plant, the scene of intensive chemical manufacturing during most of the 20th century, has been closed since 1999 because of air, water, and ground pollution. Over the years, environmental agencies have overseen the removal and treatment of an estimated 1.1 million cubic yards of material, but some of the biggest challenges remain.

Click here to continue reading this story.

The post NJ Spotlight: Latest Plan to Seal Off Superfund Site Divides Community appeared first on Blue Raritan.

SustainADana shares some excellent tips for making your holidays green.

The post SustainADana: Greening your holidays appeared first on Blue Raritan.