WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) today garnered assurances from officials at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that his recommendations to narrow the sample area and to look at the numbers of cancer instances from years beyond 2001 will be carried out in their study of the health effects from the old Mercer Rubber factory.

             “I am hopeful that the new commitment by NJHSS and ATSDR to analyze a subset area closer to the plant and to expand their analysis beyond 2001 to 2004 will begin to provide more accurate and comprehensive picture relevant to the people in the immediate area,” Smith said.

Smith continued, “While the study shows certain cancer levels are elevated in the area around the old Mercer Rubber factory, it fails to state if chemical waste from the factory may be the cause – and in fact, due to the nature of the how the study was conducted, leaves a number of questions open-ended.  We need to find answers to those questions and the actions these agencies agreed to undertake today will hopefully lead us in that direction.”

In an effort to address some of those unanswered questions, Smith held a teleconference with officials from ATSDR, NJDHSS and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to push them to address his concerns about the study.  

During the call, Smith secured a commitment from NJHSS and ATSDR to re-analyze the data to look at a smaller sample area in order to get a better read on the possible effects on the health of those who live closest to the site.  Smith also got the agencies to agree to look at the cancer incident data for residents in the study area from 2002-2004.  The previous report only cites the data up until 2001.

Smith also said he was “concerned about the potential for tainted well water, but was pleased to hear NJDEP confirm that they will be testing the safety of well water in the sample area.”

Smith was joined in the office for the teleconference by Dr. Richard Weston, the liaison for ATSDR/Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Others participating on the call were James Brownlee, Director of Consumer and Environmental Health Services
and Jerald Fagliano, Ph.D., Manager of Hazardous Site Health Evaluation Program from NJDHSS; Ed Putnam, Manager of Remedial Response and Mindy Mumford, Community Affairs Representative of NJDEP; and from ATSDR, Arthur Block, Senior Regional Representative (Region 2) and Greg Ulirsch, Ph.D., Technical Project Officer (Atlanta headquarters).

            During the teleconference, Smith also pressed NJDHSS and ATSDR to properly notify Hamilton Township residents about next week’s information sessions on the health effects of waste dumped by the Mercer Rubber factory.

            “Hamilton residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the Mercer Rubber plant stand to be affected the most by this study and should be directly notified about the upcoming public briefings.  Their participation is vital and they must be properly notified so that their concerns are taken into account,” Smith stressed.

ATSDR and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services have scheduled two sessions on September 13th, one in the afternoon from 2 pm – 4 pm, and another in the evening from 6 pm – 8 pm at the Nottingham Fire House for public input on their study.  The public comment period on the report will be extended for two to three weeks after the community session is held. 

Both the report and a guide for citizens are available on the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services’ website and can be accessed at: http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/cehsweb/sitepage.htm#MercerRubber.