Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Township is taking "incredibly seriously" a theory proposed by a former Township resident that radiation — or some other unknown contaminat — at Colonia High School could be causing fatal brain tumors.

The man proposing the theory is Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist who grew up in Woodbridge Township. As of Thursday, Lupiano said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors — and they all are either Colonia High School graduates or had worked there, he says.

This story has been hitting news channels all over the state, from CBS to NJ 101.5.

Now on Thursday, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said the town is investigating, and McCormac said he personally finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate."

"We are taking this incredibly seriously," McCormac told Patch. "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found — 65 — is staggering. Woodbridge Township contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CDC, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (which is part of CDC), and the state Department of Health last week, and we've begun initial discussions with them."

While McCormac said it's too early to say if the state or federal government is investigating, he did say he expects that the ground and soil around Colonia High School will be tested, along with the air inside the high school building.

"We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac said Thursday afternoon. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences."

Lupiano confirmed that meetings with state and federal government are taking place. Woodbridge's congressman, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ6), has also been made aware, the mayor said.

Woodbridge is working with the Board of Education, various state and federal agencies and Lupiano to evaluate data he has collected on individuals with various forms of brain cancer and brain tumors from about 1975-1995 who attended or worked in Colonia High School. If you have any information relative to this issue please reach out to the Woodbridge Health Department at 732-855-0600 extension 5027.

A man, his wife and his sister — all Colonia High grads — diagnosed with rare brain tumors

This story started on March 7 when Lupiano put out a call on his personal Facebook page. He no longer lives in Woodbridge but he said he was looking for any and all Colonia High School alumni to come forward.

Lupiano said he is specifically looking for anyone who graduated from or attend Colonia High School from approximately 1975 to 1995.

Lupiano graduated from Colonia High in 1989; his three siblings graduated in ’91, ’95 and ’98, and his wife was in the class of ’91.

Lupiano shared that three weeks ago, his sister "suddenly and very tragically" died due to a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor (glioblastoma multiforme). He said the same day his sister was diagnosed (August 2021), "I received the devastating news my wife Michele (nee Zawada) also has a very large (3.0 cm), very rare brain tumor called an Acoustic Neuroma on her left side."

"These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals. Why is this alarming? In 1999, I too was diagnosed with a very rare brain tumor on my left side. This now makes three of us in one family with primary brain tumors – all on the left side," he wrote.

Lupiano said multiple neurologists have been astounded by the tumors found in husband, wife and sister, and they told him the chances of this occurring are "maybe 1 in a billion."

Lupiano said another neurologist said he was very concerned to learn "that all three of us grew up in the same neighborhood. Why? There is one well documented cause of brain tumors – radiation exposure."

Lupiano said he started searching for instances of Colonia High graduates having brain tumors and was stunned to discover 15 people in total, with two newly discovered cases pending further investigation.

Since his March 7 Facebook post, Lupiano said he now has 65 cases connected to Colonia High School that he deems credible.

Statement from the Woodbridge superintendent of schools

Students have all still been attending Colonia High School while the story has circulated.

"We are aware of a social media post and associated news reports suggesting a connection between Colonia High School and specific health concerns," Woodbridge school Superintendent Joseph Massimino said in a letter home to parents Wednesday.

"Upon hearing this information, Mayor John McCormac and I immediately met to develop a plan to evaluate the concerns. In concert with the Township Department of Health, we initiated contact with various federal, state, county, and local health and environmental agencies. We requested that the agencies move quickly to conduct any necessary research," he said.

Massimino said the Woodbridge school district will keep in touch with these state and federal agencies and will let the public know immediately of any new findings.

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