One Woodbridge Parent Skeptical Of Claims Of Colonia High Toxins

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The possibility that there may be high amounts of toxic chemicals at Colonia High School continues to be a highly controversial issue in Woodbridge Township.

There are some Woodbridge residents who praised Edyta Komorek, the mother who gathered dust and paint samples at Colonia High School this fall, and did her own testing on them. Komorek told NJ.com and other news outlets that she found high levels of cancer-causing toxins; she also appeared on "Good Morning America" last week discussing her findings. Komorek works as an environmental scientist and had two children enrolled at Colonia High School; she has since taken them both out of the school.

At the most recent Woodbridge school board meeting, held last Thursday, Oct. 20, resident Tom Maras praised Komorek, calling her a "brave and phenomenal" woman.

But not all parents had praise for Komorek.

"How did this individual get into Colonia High School and get on top of a stove?" one father asked during the public comment portion of the meeting. (He said his name for the record, but it was unintelligible to make out.) "Was she wearing a mask? And she's chipping away at caulking around the window? My concern is how she got into the building and started collecting dust. And then she went to an outside firm to get it tested."

"My daughter goes there and it does not bother me whatsoever; I know it's a safe school," he continued. "I got no problem with my daughter being in the school. But it bothered me how she went to Channel 12 and they did what they did. I think it was unfair to the Township."

Woodbridge schools superintendent Dr. Joseph Massimino replied that he thinks she entered the building during an open house night for incoming students, and then collected the dust and paint samples from the bathroom and elsewhere in the school.

Testing will likely now begin for a second time at Colonia High School, Massimino previously said.

The Woodbridge school district is waiting for the advice from the New Jersey departments of Health and Environmental Protection on how to best proceed, and how exactly the testing will be done. However, a date has not been given for when testing will begin.

"However it came to our attention, it came to our attention and we looking into it," Woodbridge school district lawyer Jonathan Busch replied to the father. "There are some people who are obviously understandably anxious about this and want answers today, tomorrow. It's going to take time. The important thing is it be done right."

Maras also wanted to know if any other schools in the district are being tested. The school board did not answer him.

He also wanted to know why only the state only tested for radon last May, when the state tested air quality at Colonia High School and said they found nothing out of the ordinary.

Massimino emphasized that the Woodbridge school district was following the test advice from the state departments of health and environmental protection.

"If you're looking for an environmental cause, you look for radiation," said Massimino. "This was the advice of the Department of Health and Environmental Protection. That was the advice they gave. I do believe we consulted with the experts and that was the advice they gave. They are the leading state agencies."