Pallone Announces $7 million in New Funds to Begin Cleanup of Margaret’s Creek

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2016



NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ– Today in Laurence Harbor, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ06) announced $7 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the cleanup at Margaret’s Creek, part of the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge. He was joined by Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, representatives of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, Raritan Riverkeeper and the Raritan Bay Community Advisory Group.

The area has elevated levels of lead contamination, as well as areas of slag, a byproduct of metal smelting, and battery casings. As a result of urging by Pallone, the Raritan Bay Slag site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in 2009. Pallone has long prioritized the cleanup of this contaminated site so the local community may once again access the waterfront area without worry of health hazards. Lead is a toxic metal that can be particularly dangerous to children’s developmental health.




“I am pleased that the EPA is moving forward with a plan to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville,” said Pallone. “I urged the EPA to have this site placed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) to protect the public, as well as the environment, and enable the local residents to go back to utilizing the beachfront areas safely. I am thankful they heeded my call, as even at low levels, lead is a toxic metal that can be especially dangerous to children’s developmental health.

“I strongly believe the public should not be responsible for cleaning-up these contaminated sites, which is why I introduced the Superfund Polluters Pay Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites.”

Pallone has long been fighting to strengthen the Superfund program. This Congress, Pallone introduced H.R.2783 - Superfund Polluter Pays Act, which would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and make polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up Superfund sites.

Congressman Pallone Tours Four Superfund Sites with EPA Regional Administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Announces completion of a contaminated soil cleanup at Imperial Oil in Morganville

NEW JERSEY – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) joined U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Judith Enck today to tour four Superfund Sites in the sixth congressional district and highlight the success of the program. While at Imperial Oil in Morganville, Pallone and Enck announced the completion of a $50 million contaminated soil cleanup at the site. They also visited the Horseshoe Road and Atlantic Resources sites in Sayreville, and the Chemical Insecticide site in Edison.

Superfund was established in 1980 to address the country’s most hazardous waste sites and protect public health and the environment. New Jersey has the most Superfund toxic sites in the nation and Middlesex County has the most in the state. To ensure adequate funding to cleanup the sites, Pallone introduced the Superfund Polluter Pays Act. The bill would shift the burden of paying for Superfund cleanups from taxpayers to the oil and gas companies that frequently create these sites. 

“The completion of cleanup at the Imperial Oil Superfund site reinforces the success of this program,” said Pallone. “The cleanups are essential to protecting the environment and the health of residents that live and work nearby, and also create good local jobs. In 2011 Superfund cleanups created about 2,300 jobs in New Jersey.”

The completion of the soil cleanup at Imperial Oil enables the redevelopment of the property for new uses. Today the formerly contaminated site features trees, grass, restored wetlands, a pond and a bike path. The soil cleanup at the site was accelerated by $33 million in new funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Pallone and Enck were joined on the tour by Marlboro Township Mayor Jonathan Hornick, Edison Mayor Antonia Ricigliano, Freeholder Lillian Burry, Freeholder James Polos, Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan and other local officials.