Nearly 100 Former Students and Staff of New Jersey High School Develop Brain Tumors
May 26, 2022 in Blog, In The News, Mass Torts
An emergency contract was awarded to a Middletown engineering firm to conduct an intensive radiological assessment of Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey after concerns were raised by a 1989 alumni about the school’s possible link to nearly 100 brain tumors among past students and faculty. The school’s entire 28-acre campus is being tested for radiation as well as indoor air quality issues.
Environmental Testing Sparked by Independent Data Collected by Former Colonia High School Student
Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School Alum, was on a “personal mission” to determine the cause of three brain tumors that were diagnosed and treated in people closely related to him, including himself. Lupiano’s sister, who recently died of cancer, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and – on the same day– his wife was diagnosed with a benign tumor on her brainstem that she is still being treated for.
“My sister, my wife and me… all diagnosed and treated for brain tumors? And the only common denominator that I can find: We all went to Colonia High School,” Lupiano said. Since then, he has collected data that identifies over 100 people who have been diagnosed with brain tumors, both benign and cancerous, and either attended the school or worked in the school between 1975 and 1995.
The Woodbridge Township Council’s Response
Mayor John E. McCormac has taken action to determine whether or not there is a direct correlation between this cluster of brain tumors and the Colonia High School campus. Township and school officials have asked for help from multiple government organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but felt they could not wait for action to be taken and have decided to proceed with testing. “They are all aware of our situation. But we cannot wait for other levels of government to act. So, we are moving forward,” said McCormack.
Over the next several weeks, T&M’s environmental team, along with the help of Cabrera Services, a radiological cleanup firm, will be conducting air quality and radiation tests and researching state and county records pertaining to the school’s construction in 1967. According to McCormack, findings are at least a month away.
Potential Causes for Brain Tumor Cluster
Lupiano, suggests that the school’s grounds could be contaminated due to its proximity to a sampling plant just 30 minutes away in Middlesex, New Jersey that received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores up until 1967 when Colonia High School was built. The plant itself was decontaminated before closing, however, radioactive materials could have been carried away from the plant due to wind and rain runoff into neighboring areas.
The Team of Attorneys at SPBMCC Offer Legal Counsel to Victims of Negligence
Individuals such as students and staff reasonably expect that the premises they learn and educate on is safe and free of any unnecessary risk. If the property owner or a third party fails to act responsibly or properly manage the premises and causes injury to others, they should be held accountable. At Sullivan Papain, we have extensive experience representing victims who were harmed due to others’ negligence. To contact our New York offices, call (212) 732-9000 or fill out our brief form below:
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