TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have extended the public comment period on the Ringwood Mines/Landfill site public health assessment.

The public may now comment on the report until August 7.  Written comments may be submitted to:

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

Public Health Services Branch

Consumer and Environmental Health Services

Health Assessment Project Manager

P.O. Box 369

Trenton, NJ 08625-0369

          On May 1, DHSS and ATSDR released the federal-state assessment on the landfill, a site in Passaic County that Ford Motor Co. used decades ago to dump car parts, solvents, paint sludge and other wastes.  The public comment period was originally scheduled to end July 3, but was extended at the request of Ford Motor Co.

          The assessment, which is in draft form for public comment, determined that the landfill site remains a public health hazard to the community, and that further testing is needed to better understand nearby residents’ current exposures to lead, arsenic and other contaminants from the site.

          Public health assessments of hazardous waste sites are conducted by DHSS under a cooperative agreement with ATSDR.  The purpose is to determine whether people were likely exposed to contaminants in the past or present, and what impact exposures may have on community health.  Assessments recommend further steps that should be taken to protect public health.

          Copies of the Ringwood Mines/Landfill health assessment, and the citizen’s guide to the report, may be obtained by calling the DHSS Consumer and Environmental Health Services, (609) 584-5367.  The documents may be viewed and downloaded from the DHSS web site at: www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/cehsweb/sitepage.htm#Ringwood.  In addition, copies are available at the Ringwood Public Library, 30 Cannici Drive, Ringwood, NJ.

# # #