Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Debris from the former Zurbrugg Hospital in Riverside, New Jersey has been found to be a significant threat to public health and safety, containing high levels of asbestos and other hazardous materials.  Unfortunately for residents of the New Jersey town, the disposal of the demolition debris was completely mishandled and now the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice is investigating the mess left by unscrupulous contractors. 

In a story that first appeared in the Burlington County Times, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) raised an alarm after testing debris left behind after the hospital was razed in 2010.  The discovery was made early in 2011 and to date there has been no attempt to clean up the hazard by either the property’s owner or the construction company hired to flatten the historic building.

Bags of asbestos containing materials and other toxic substances were found on the site, some partially buried, and others open to the elements – posing a huge health risk to anyone passing through the area.  Airborne asbestos can cause a wide variety of illnesses including cancer and asbestosis.  However, the disease most prevalently associated with asbestos is mesothelioma, an invariably deadly form of cancer that kills nearly 3,000 people in the United States every year.  Mesothelioma is 100% preventable and caused by the careless handling of asbestos and asbestos materials.

Peter Aseltine, spokesperson for the Division of Criminal Justice, said that the DEP investigation has discovered an alarming amount of toxic materials at the site, including uncontained asbestos at one specific location which used to be one of the hospital’s boiler rooms.

This case is extremely frightening because of the location of this demolition site.  The hospital grounds are located within a residential neighborhood and feet from several occupied homes.  The chance of widespread contamination by asbestos fibers has been worsened because these toxic materials have been onsite for a year, exposed to the elements, with their protective coverings being worn away or stolen by unknowing trespassers.

Air testing at the site has yet to reveal dangerous levels of asbestos, but the risk increases everyday as the materials degrade and are allowed to spread. 

The situation has local residents extremely worried for their health and safety.  Rebecca Eiler, whose home is just yards from the piles of rubble and hazardous waste, said in an interview that "everything is exposed, and nothing is being done . . . the longer it goes on, the more worried we get."

If the site owner or the contracted demolitions company continues to leave the site as-is, New Jersey DEP may step in and order the cleanup of the hazardous materials at the expense of either of those parties.  In addition, both parties may face fines or even jail time if it is discovered that their negligence was premeditated. 

In the meantime, residents continue to worry that they may be exposing themselves to carcinogens and be putting themselves at risk for developing mesothelioma later in life.