Pallone Demands Immediate EPA Action Following Reports of Hazardous Lead Material Spreading from Superfund Site

LONG BRANCH, NJ - Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. today responded to reports that hazardous lead material may be breaking off from the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge and spreading to Keyport.

"The possibility that hazardous lead material may be breaking off from the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge and spreading all the way to Keyport is deeply concerning. The EPA must immediately determine if this contamination is originating from the Slag site. If confirmed, the agency needs to address this issue immediately to prevent further spread. I have been working closely with the EPA on the site's remediation effort and we expect a contract for the seawall sector cleanup to be made this year. This site has received federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I worked closely with President Biden to get enacted into law," said Pallone.

Pallone has been a longtime advocate for the cleanup of Superfund sites in New Jersey and around the nation. As a result of his advocacy, the Raritan Bay Slag site was placed on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund National Priorities List in 2009. In August 2021, Pallone announced that the EPA would take over the completion of the remediation design plans for the Seawall Sector to ensure the remediation design is technically sound and the site can be cleaned up successfully.

He has also long advocated for reinstating the tax on companies to ensure corporate polluters, not taxpayers, foot the bill for cleaning up waste and pollution. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reinstated the Superfund tax on chemical companies, and the Inflation Reduction Act reinstated the tax on crude oil and petroleum products. Combined, the new laws are expected to raise billions in revenue.