Serious Chemical Contamination Leaves School District in Chaos
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 07. 3.07
While kids and parents across much of the U.S. are deciding how they can get the most out of summer vacation, there’s a boatload of parents in Paramus, New Jersey who are having their children's blood tested for exposure to dangerous pesticides at West Brook Middle School. And that’s not all, because nearly the entire teaching staff has hired an attorney, blaming autoimmune diseases and other illnesses on the contamination. As one parent put it, "It kind of creeps me out because we just don't know for sure if our kids are safe''. It turns out that she and other parents fear their kid's seizures, aching joints and frequent colds could be linked to soil tainted with pesticides at the school. And while the community is on edge, science isn't providing many answers. It turns out that researchers haven't studied the effects of pesticides on humans, only on animals, and there’s a huge gap in the understanding of the safety of thousands of chemicals we live with every day according to experts. As Dr. Gina Solomon, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council put it, "It's a shocking state of affairs when even the best-tested chemicals out there haven't been tested in a way that we can tell a community what this kind of exposure can do."
Now the pesticides found in the soil at West Brook were actually banned by the federal government two decades ago because of the danger they pose, as chlordane, dieldrin and aldrin are neurotoxins, working on humans as they do on bugs by lining up to attack the central nervous system. Unfortunately the lack of research means doctors and scientists can give parents and teachers only vague information about the long-term risks. That leaves attorneys for teachers and families in the district lining up to duke it out with the district itself over the contamination. And with some of them cold-calling every family in the district to line up cases, you can be certain this will be a fight to the finish. Ultimately, the district will likely have to seek a settlement at some point with this boatload of litigants, an economically draining process for everyone involved that will leave the school district strapped for cash and could also leave home prices in the toilet. And that’s a result that will be good for no one, affected by the contamination or not.
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touchy topic, but this is where some hippies try and keep their cake and eat it too. they slam animal testing but line up for pay outs when they eventually stuff up. not that all the details of this case relate as this product may have been used illegally.
you wonder why it takes a decade for new cures to get to the public. this is an excellent case why, and how proper testing can cost more than just money for the sake of saving lives, and councils.
i'd hate to be kid with no friends eating worms in that school. terriable thing to happen.
whats ironic it the huge deal we make of it here when its a daily thing in china. chemical spill every 3 days in 05 as linked by TH. might have been 06. and a few posts from this one, 300k odd deaths due to air pollution alone.
Any substance that is systematically harmful to other species is going to be harmful to our species. The only sure way to have a safe environment is to work with it, not against it, like the way pesticides are designed to do.
Which leads me to the underlying question: Why were pesticides used at the school in the first place? What possible purpose would anyone have for wanting to kill things (presumably some sort of "pest" they hoped to "icide") in a school yard?
I just don't understand some people sometimes...
East Brook school opened our eyes to contamination issues however, just minutes away there is a very serious contamination problem that is not being addressed. Every one worried about the wetlands when the first item on the agenda should be to clean up the dump that exists on Solder Hill Rd (Paramus)...The dump runs off into the water and is a greater detriment to every ones health in Paramus and most of Bergen County, due to the fact that it flows into our water supplies (Oradell). Not to mention that animals can not survive because there is so much glass and garbage that has been dumped. If people are truly concerned, they should make this there main concern rather than merely attempting to stop the development. We should make them clean the site.
People must open there eyes and see what the true issue is here. It appears that there are many hidden agendas... and contamination, the environment, and the general community well being is not a true element of concern for the people involved. I am concerned for my health ! PLEASE MAKE THEM CLEAN THE DUMP...PARAMUS WETLANDS
East Brook school opened our eyes to contamination issues however, just minutes away there is a very serious contamination problem that is not being addressed. Every one worried about the wetlands when the first item on the agenda should be to clean up the dump that exists on Solder Hill Rd (Paramus)...The dump runs off into the water and is a greater detriment to every ones health in Paramus and most of Bergen County, due to the fact that it flows into our water supplies (Oradell). Not to mention that animals can not survive because there is so much glass and garbage that has been dumped. If people are truly concerned, they should make this there main concern rather than merely attempting to stop the development. We should make them clean the site.
People must open there eyes and see what the true issue is here. It appears that there are many hidden agendas... and contamination, the environment, and the general community well being is not a true element of concern for the people involved. I am concerned for my health ! PLEASE MAKE THEM CLEAN THE DUMP...PARAMUS WETLANDS
Although there has been much publicity regarding the contamination at West Brook School...no one is saying anything regarding the contamination that has been around for years on Soldier Hill Rd in Paramus...There have been studies done on the site and there is evident contamination.
The DEP has been informed of the contamination however, the site has yet to be cleaned...
As a concerned resident of Paramus, I would like to make other members of my community aware of the great health/environmental hazard that is present in many of our backyards. The specific site that I am speaking of is located on Soldier Hill Rd adjacent to the Reid Park nature preserve. The Musquapsink Brook flows through the site and through many of our backyards and into our drinking water via the Passaic Brook which in turn flows into the Oradell Reservoir (all Category One Water ways). The site is being contaminated by the dumping that took place years ago and has never been cleaned.
As a community and as concerned individuals we must all join forces and request that this land fill be cleaned immediately, so the contamination does not persist. Children, adults walk through this preserve, and could get injured from all the debris that has been dumped throughout the years. There is evidence that many people traverse through the site. Reid Park is located immediately to the south, with a nature walk created in the east. There is evidence of trails that are created by ATVs and motor bikes, individuals have created tree houses and have been present on the property, and have been directly
Initially I was made aware of the site by the “Save Paramus Wetlands” signs that are prominent around town. Upon further evaluation and a walk through the nature path I discovered that this site was not only wetlands, but that it is and was, contaminated and a hazard to all wildlife. This very site was obviously utilized as a landfill and had endured years of dumping which is evident today. There are piles of concrete, glass and metals through out the site readily visible to anyone walking through.
Although there is much publicity with respect to the wetland issue, the most important element in my opinion, has been pushed to the back burner. No one has requested that the site be cleaned so that the contamination could stop. It makes me feel as though no one is truly concerned with the true issue at hand… our well being. “Save Paramus Wetlands” has become an agenda that has yet to resolve any environmental issues or contamination.
This is not the first time Paramus has turned their heads of contamination issues. Many of us can vividly remember the contamination issues that arose at the East Brook School. The contamination in East Brook received nationwide coverage and eventually, was cleaned up.
If we stick together as a community and recognize the evident danger we can also prevent further contamination of our water and our communities.
First thing is first…let’s clean the dump!