After some digging, a man who attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, discovered more than 100 former students and staff members had been diagnosed with the same sort . Because the school remains open, we demand greater urgency to find out if potentially harmful substances are harming our children and staff at Colonia High School.". The plant, which has since closed, is about a 30-minute drive from Colonia High School. Something Is Wrong Here. More Than 100 Local Residents Had Brain Tumors, but What Was the Cause? When faced with terminal disease, people often look for an overarching explanation as a way to cope with an unbearable reality. The site received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores from the 1940s until 1967, at which time the facility was decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time. Of the estimated 1,000 suspected cancer clusters reported to health departments each year, only a small fraction prove to be statistically significant cancer surges. "They are all causing cancer.". Potentially contaminated soil had been removed from the Middlesex Borough property over the years,with some of the soil used for construction right around the time of the construction of Colonia High School. Posted: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. It's going to have PCBs, they all do. Colonia High School Brain Tumors: New Jersey Cancer Cluster Causes Concern, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Font Size: Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. He was born in . Like 6 Comments |. It started in 1999 when Mr. Lupiano, then 27, was diagnosed with a noncancerous one. The facility, which includes several buildings on 9.6 acres, was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende. Edyta Komorek is a professional environmental scientist. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection building. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. Ive reached out to both the news and local newspapers, but have not received any interest. I have a really bad feeling we're going to find contamination beyond the high school. We understand that the state authorities will be forwarding this information to appropriate federal agencies," Massimino's letter states. A A. I hope the state will treat the school the same way because now we have kids who are susceptible receptors involved, and the teachers too," she said. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. I'm doing this not only for my wife, my sister my nieces are currently in the school but this deserves further understanding. My sister and siblings attended Lynn Crest, Colonia Middle, and Colonia High School. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. All rights reserved, concluded there was no dangerous or carcinogenic radiation there, 107 Cases of Brain Tumors Led to Investigation at NJ High School: Mayor Announces Results, Study of NJ HS at Center of Cancer Cluster Mystery Shows No Radioactivity: Mayor, Grad Inks Deal to Bring Free Brain Scans to NJ Community in Cancer Cluster Mystery, 108 people from over a period of three decades ending in the early 2000s, no traces of radioactivity found in the school, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. Dozens of former teachers and students have . We have to really take a look at it, said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac to ABC 7. "[A]t least pick up the phone and say, Hey Al, what do you see? And I would be happy here's my list. Secondary brain tumors, which originate elsewhere in the body and then spread to the brain, are more common. Youre looking for footprints in the sand long after the tide has come and gone, said Dr. Clapp. In 1998 the Corps of Engineers recycled and disposed of the stockpiled steel. And thats not the case. Ive done the leg work for them and gathered the data for the last 6 months. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK. Casey returns to the Senate after cancer surgery 11 hours ago . Three weeks ago, I made a promise to my beloved sister on her deathbed I will uncover the truth! A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Our children and Colonia High School staff deserve more involvement of the State and Federal agencies. Something is wrong here, he said. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals. Even before Mr. Lupianos list had reached 100 people, it had drawn the attention of local and national news media and had catalyzed public officials to act. 3/29 UPATE: The list has continued to grow, and now stands at 65 individuals. Despite these odds, cancer cluster designations are considered crucial for both health officials interested in protecting public safety, and communities who fear theyve been exposed to cancer-causing agents. It was Lupiano, who is an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, who started connecting the dots. Fox News reported that the plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built.. We recognized that communication guidance was an area that warranted attention, said Patrick Breysse, director of the C.D.C.s National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in an email statement. Everything that was found is normal." These ores, imported for use in the nations early atomic energy program, were assayed at the Middlesex Sampling Plant and then shipped to other sites for processing. Trinity was led by Mike Bednostin who had a game-high 24 points. (two newly discovered cases are pending further investigation). I need your help Facebook. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received . His wife was similarly diagnosed with a malignant AN tumor, and his sister was diagnosed with malignant Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), which has an incident rate of 30 out of every 1 million people. Schools in North Brunswick and Trenton, as well as in Greenwich, Conn., and Northport, N.Y., were discovered to have been constructed on or near contaminated soils. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. A cancer survivor is vowing to untangle the twisted mystery of why almost 100 people associated with a New Jersey high school have developed "extremely" rare malignant brain tumors. Some people will not be convinced.. By the time students let out for the summer, the case was closed. In the case of Colonia High School, many of these valid limitations apply. People who have been exposed to ionizing radiation have an increased risk of developing primary brain tumors, whether they are malignant or benign, according to the Mayo Clinic. Marion Renault is a health and science journalist. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Also in the 1980s, the contaminated materials disposed of at the MML were excavated, brought back to the site and stored in a specially constructed pile, known as the MML pile. That kind of follow-up could have the opposite effect, said Shawn LaTourette, New Jerseys commissioner of environmental protection, and send the wrong message that the suspicions deserved any more resources than what had already been invested. So when officials declared earlier this year that ground penetrating radar tests on the grounds of Colonia High School concluded there was no dangerous or carcinogenic radiation there, she took matters into her own hands. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. Also, records later revealed that in 1948, some radioactively contaminated materials had been trucked from the plant to the Middlesex Municipal Landfill (MML), one-half mile away. Of the 120 or so known carcinogens, some are inescapable, like sunshine, engine exhaust, air pollution or the asbestos still embedded in millions of older buildings. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a true cancer cluster must be a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases of the same type of cancer or those proven to have the same cause, within a specific population over a set time. "Seven weeks we've been waiting for them to take a drive from Edison [New Jersey] to Colonia, New Jersey. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby . In the meantime, Komorek has taken her own two daughters out of Colonia High School, but the mayor cautions against calling it a cancer cluster. This is an urgent call for actionI have two leads I am exploring on what may have caused this, but I need your help! Is the exposure ongoing? All three had attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, in central New Jersey, and soon enough, Mr. Lupiano began asking on Facebook and on a local news site if any other graduates had similar diagnoses. Earlier this year, 1989 Colonia High School graduate Al Lupiano developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school from the 1970s to 1990s who have apparently developed brain tumors, including his sister who died with a malignant brain tumor in February. To summarize, primary brain tumors of this type have an incidence rate of between 10-30 out of 1,000,000 individuals. The soil sample also contained some pesticides. In the 1980[s], the contaminated residential properties were cleaned up, and the excavated soil was stored at the site in a specially constructed pile, known as the Vicinity Properties (VP) pile," the USACE New York Division's website states. "Also, records later revealed that in 1948, some radioactively contaminated materials had been trucked from the plant to the Middlesex Municipal Landfill (MML), one-half mile away. Whatever the city decides to do, Komorek said she hopes it goes beyond the tests they already performed. The study doesnt close anything. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach . All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. It was an entry point for uranium ores that were "imported for use in the nations early atomic energy program, were assayed at the Middlesex Sampling Plant and then shipped to other sites for processing," according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York Division. To summarize, primary brain tumors: New Jersey 's going to find contamination beyond the tests they performed. T least pick up the phone and say, Hey Al, What do you see to take!, are more common to really take a look at it, said Clapp... On 9.6 acres, was an entry point for African uranium ores known pitchblende... A 30-minute drive from Colonia High School, investigation launched be happy 's! A 30-minute drive from Edison [ New Jersey High School, investigation.... 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