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Washington, D.C. ---- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Stephen L. Johnson to take immediate action to contain human exposure to toxic substances at sites where the agency acknowledges that such exposure is not under control.
The New Jersey congressman's request comes in response to a new EPA report that shows 14 Superfund sites in New Jersey are among 111 sites nationwide where human exposure is not under control. Pallone said New Jersey has more sites on the list than any other state in the nation, and that number would actually increase to 15 when the Ringwood Mines/Landfill site is relisted as a Superfund site. The list includes one Superfund site from Pallone's district, the Horseshoe Road Superfund site in Sayreville. (For a complete list, please contact Pallone's press office at the numbers listed above.)
"Protecting Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals at the nation's most contaminated sites should be the EPA's top priority," Pallone said. "It is unacceptable that they have allowed human exposure to continue at so many sites, including a disturbing number here in New Jersey."
In a letter to Administrator Johnson, the New Jersey congressman also asked that the federal environmental agency inform him of its plans to control remaining human exposure at these sites, and whether or not the agency has sufficient funding and resources to do so in a timely fashion. The text of Pallone's letter follows.
September 19, 2006
Dear Administrator Johnson:
I am writing to urge that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take immediate action to contain human exposure to toxic substances at Superfund sites where your agency acknowledges that such exposure is not under control.
According to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS), there are 111 sites currently on the National Priorities List (NPL) where human exposure is not under control. My state of New Jersey has 14 of these sites, more than any other state. That number actually rises to 15 when you include the Ringwood Mines/Landfill site, which has been deleted from the final NPL but should be relisted shortly, according to your agency.
The mission of the EPA is, according to your website, "to protect human health and the environment." Clearly the agency's top priority should be to protect citizens from exposure to toxic substances from some of the most contaminated sites in the country. It is difficult to understand why human exposure remains uncontrolled at so many sites. I am especially concerned because this problem seems to disproportionately affect the people of New Jersey.
The sites in question are often contaminated with incredibly toxic materials such as arsenic, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, and volatile organic compounds, all of which have been linked to birth defects, cancer, and other serious health problems. Your agency needs to do everything possible to immediately end the existing human exposures.
I would greatly appreciate if you could inform me of your plans to control remaining human exposure at these sites. Please also inform me whether or not your agency has sufficient funding and resources to do so in a timely fashion.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
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