Exposed 55-gallon toxic waste drums, left on active golfing range in
Edison, pose a potential imminent public safety and health risk.
Photos by Dana Patterson
Over the past week or so, toxic waste was excavated and left in the open along the fence of Edison's popular Inman Sports Club, covered in tarp secured by leaking, broken 55-gallon drums. Chemicals like lead, VOCs, and PCBs create an overwhelming, noxious odor emanating from the toxic waste just ten feet away from the public walkway along Villa Drive, where families push baby strollers, summer campers walk to and from camp, and kids ride their bikes.
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The immediate exposure to the public, and especially children, has local residents alarmed about the risks to their families. The nonprofit Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) toured the site and was shocked to see such large amounts of uncontained toxic waste so close to a public street,without any real containment or even warning signs.
Nearby are residential homes and two day camps, where children are playing outdoors and being exposed tothe harmful chemical odor emanating from the waste piles. In fact, on a site investigation yesterday, the staggering volatile odor caused people to become lightheaded from the waste,located within the Inman golfing range where golfers launched golf balls into the same toxic waste grounds.
According to one environmental consultant, the drums contained lead, PCBs,volatile organic compounds, hexavalent chromium, benzene, xylene, and ethylbenzene. The excavation work reportedly started last week on what is known as "Trench 5", and the toxic waste piles have been sitting there since. Sample results also indicated that the waste material may also be RCRA-hazardous for ignitability.
This suspected public health and environmental crisis has local residents and EWA pushing New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to take immediate action to address. The NJDEP Emergency Response Team, Middlesex County Hazmat Team, Middlesex County Health Department, Edison Township Fire Chief, Edison Township Chief of Police, and Edison Township Health Department are arriving on the scene today to complete an immediate investigation of the contamination and assess the exposure to the community.
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for all updates on this breaking story.
Just two feet from the fence line along Villa Drive, this pile of exposed
waste drums sit uncovered on active golf range.
The piles of drums from the excavation that took place over a week ago
are not secured, and should be air monitored.
Inman Sports Club Golf Range
Its is disgusting that the NJDEP refuses to do their job and leaves a polluted site like this unchecked. They should all be fired every last one of them.
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That was an inspiring post,
Keep up the good work,
Thanks for writing about it
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