Passaic County Neighbors Of DuPont Plant Getting Sick: Report

WAYNE, NJ — There is a higher concentration of cancer and rare illnesses for those living above a toxic plume where a DuPont munitions plant used to be, according to an extensive report by The Record.

Mercury, lead and cancer-causing substances TCE and PCE have made Pompton Lakes residents sick with cancer and lymphoma, according to the report, which included stories from several families who have lived on the plume.

TCE is a volatile organic compound found in printing inks, adhesives, and rug cleaners.

DuPont "engaged in a pattern" of pushbacks and delays when prompted to investigate the extent of the pollution, according to the report.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered DuPont to remove 100,000 cubic yards of sediment form the lake.

The toxic substances were found in 26 private wells, including some for drinking water and were found vaporizing from polluted groundwater under the neighborhood and were found in more than 100 homes, according to the report.

The report stated there were multiple cases of a number of cancers and other conditions like skin rashes, migraines and depression of people in homes living in the area.

Those wishing to get out have tried selling their homes, but have received little to no interest from potential buyers.

The Pines Lake section of Wayne borders the eastern side of Pompton Lake.

Some residents living in that neighborhood were notified that drinking water in a well near some of their properties contains elevated levels of TCE.

An EPA spokesman said in 2013 that "there's no evidence there is contamination on that side of the lake."

"We know there's contamination on the western shore but as far as anything on the eastern shore, there's no there's no reason to think that there is contamination from that site impacting that side of the lake," Adolph Everette, chief of the hazardous waste programs branch for the EPA's region two section, which includes New Jersey, said in 2013.

To read The Record's report, click here.

Related: Volatile Compound Found in Well Water Near Pompton Lake

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Photo: Screenshot of Pompton Lake via Google Maps