More Testing Likely At Colonia High School After New Chemical Claims

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The Woodbridge school district is now asking the state of New Jersey to hire an environmental consultant to investigate a new claim of possible toxic chemicals at Colonia High School.

This means that more testing will likely be done at Colonia High School, after the mother of two students there said she tested some of the dust she gathered at the high school and found it high for cancer-causing agents.

Either the state or the school district will now conduct its own further testing, said Woodbridge school superintendent Joseph Massimino.

In a letter sent home to parents Monday, Massimino said he spoke with the woman, and sent her findings to both the town and the state departments of Health and Environmental Protection.

Now, in a new letter sent to the community Wednesday night, Massimino said:

"We have asked the environmental consultant to develop a comprehensive plan of action that will provide a framework for the testing that will be conducted. This plan will be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for review, discussion and approval before any testing is done."

"The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Health that they are in receipt of the information," said Massimino Wednesday. "We expect the agencies to conclude their review and provide recommendations and guidance for the district in the upcoming days."

The mother, Edyta Komorek, works as an environmental scientist, said she collected and tested dust, window caulk and soil samples from the high school, all of which came back positive for high levels of PCBs, chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide, according to NJ.com. The dust samples were taken from a window in a bathroom at the school, MyCentralJersey.com reported.

All of those chemicals are carcinogenic.

"Once again we will work with the school district through our health department and our environmental consultants and make contact with the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Health to help evaluate what we were presented with and decide on a future course of action," said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac this week in light of the woman's new findings. "Nothing indicates that the school building or property is unsafe."

Over the span of several weeks this past May, air and soil testing was done at Colonia High School, said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli.

Tests turned up no evidence of radon or radiological contamination.

Related: Woodbridge And State Of NJ: No Cancer-Causing Radiation Found At Colonia High School (May 2022)