As Garfield Superfund site raises chromium concerns, NYU researchers plan exposure study

Members of URGENT in Garfield meeting protesting chronium

According to nj.com:

GARFIELD — The federal Environmental Protection Agency will begin work in the coming weeks to determine how far a pool of cancer-causing chromium that sits beneath a Superfund site in a residential neighborhood has spread.

At the same time, a team of researchers from NYU's School of Medicine is hoping to begin work educating residents on the impacts of the contamination on public health, and testing their toenails for traces of the metal.

It turns out our toenails keep better records than government agencies sometimes.

 "There's no information," said Miguel Reyes, a member of the community group URGENT Garfield that's turned up at public events to protest the government's handling of the site. "People need to be held accountable. Nobody's putting the blame on anybody, and we need to investigate if the city fumbled the football."

Read more here:

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2013/03/as_chromium_contimation_concerns_loom_nyu_researches_plan_to_test_toenails.html

"Nobody's putting the blame on anybody, and we need to investigate if the city fumbled the football."          -Miguel Reyes, Pres. of URGENT

EPA answers questions about chromium in Garfield

Members of United Residents of Garfield Engaged in Neighborhood Transformation (URGENT) attended a public meeting Sept. 10 about the demolition of the E.C. Electroplating building.

Read more on northjersey.com/

With toxic plant ready for demolition, NJ residents voice concerns

At a September 10 public meeting held by the city council, board of education, and EPA officials, residents inquired about the health risks posed by the planned demolition, and exactly how the cleanup process would continue after the building is torn down. Also present were members of the neighborhood watchdog group U.R.G.E.N.T. Garfield, who protested the initial lack of action on the part of the city, which caused the widespread contamination in the first place and forced the EPA to declare Garfield a Superfund site.

Read more at peoplesworld.org