OLD BRIDGE, NJ – On Wednesday, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) presented comments at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) meeting about its proposal to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge and Sayreville.  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.

As a result of urging by Pallone, the Raritan Bay Slag site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in 2009.  The EPA conducted an in-depth investigation of the contamination to determine how best to clean it up over the long term and determined the most effective course of action will be to remove contaminants from the site instead of landfilling the material.

“The waterfront in Old Bridge is an integral part of the local community and I am encouraged by the EPA’s plan to remove contaminants from the Raritan Bay Slag site so there will be a clean and safe area that the public can use without worry,” said Pallone.  “Cleaning up toxic sites not only is a good investment for public health and the environment, it also creates quality jobs.  In 2011 Superfund cleanups created about 2,300 jobs in New Jersey.”

Rep. Pallone is the lead sponsor of the Superfund Polluter Pays Act.  The bill would reauthorize the original Superfund fees and thus shift the burden of paying for Superfund cleanups from taxpayers to the oil and gas companies that frequently create these sites. 

“I will continue to fight for reinstating the Superfund taxes so polluters, not taxpayers, pay the costs of cleaning up our most polluted sites,” stated Pallone.  “I also look forward to working with the EPA and all stakeholders to move the cleanup of this site forward rapidly so the community of Old Bridge can have the space back for its residents.”