Judy Persichilli​'s Full Remarks On Colonia High Radiation Testing

Woodbridge NJ

27 May, 2022

3:51 PM

Description

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Thursday, Woodbridge Township, plus two powerful state agencies, said they found no evidence of radiation in either the air or soil at Colonia High School. Those state agencies were the Department of Environmental Protection, led by Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, and the Department of Health, led by Commissioner Judy Persichilli. For two weeks, both the air and soil at Colonia High School were tested for radiation, after a 1989 graduate Al Lupiano said he found 121 cases of brain cancer in Colonia grads, and theorized there could be a link to the high school. "We sympathize with anyone who has experienced brain tumors and brain cancers, especially those who lost loved ones to this terrible disease," said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac Thursday, in his full remarks. "But there is no cause-and-effect relationship between those illnesses and the building or grounds at Colonia High School." Here are the full remarks from NJ Health Commissioner Persichilli Thursday at the gym at Colonia High School: Thank you, Mayor. We are glad to be standing side by side with you and the Department of Environmental Protection today to share the results of the radiological survey and other analyses the Department of Health has conducted. The state Department of Health supports the actions taken by Mayor McCormac and the township at Colonia High School, in conjunction with the state Department of Environmental Protection, which have determined that no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation. These findings and the analyses I will explain in a moment represent good news that we hope will help reassure current and former Colonia High School students and their families, former staff and residents. Over the past few months, the Health Department has taken several steps to analyze the situation to help the township address concerns raised by residents and other individuals who attended or worked at Colonia High School. As of today, the Department has released two reports about the analyses we conducted. The first report reviewed data on a radioactive rock found in the school in 1997. At the request of the mayor, the Department – with assistance from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) subject matter experts – assessed the report of radiological data collected in May 1997. Our analysis determined that NO harmful health impacts are expected from external exposure to ionizing radiation from the rock found in the classroom. The second report provides the expected number of primary malignant and non-malignant brain and other central nervous system tumors that would be expected among students, staff and teachers at Colonia High School who attended or worked there between 1968 through 2021. The expected numbers were calculated using rates from the New Jersey State Cancer Registry. The number of expected primary brain and other central nervous system tumors among students over the 1968 to 2021 time period was calculated to range from 98 to 105, depending on the registry years used in the analysis. The expected number of these same tumors among teachers and staff over their lifetime was estimated to range from 13 to 14. The Department understands that some people may still have questions or concerns, as this is a complex issue and these reports are technical in nature. The complexity of brain tumor classification is a perfect example of this. The primary brain and other central nervous system tumors include both malignant and non-malignant (benign and borderline) tumors. There are over 100 histologically distinct types of primary central nervous system tumors. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors, while tumors that start elsewhere in the body and spread to the brain are metastatic brain tumors. If someone was diagnosed with lung cancer and told that it had metastasized to the brain, this individual would not be considered to have a primary brain tumor. Many of the questions residents may have going forward will likely be specific and personal to each individual. The Department is committed to addressing the individual concerns of former and current residents and discussing the information in these reports in small groups or one-on- one meetings. If you would like to schedule an appointment with the Department's Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance Program to address any remaining questions or concerns, please call 609-826-4984. If you have already reached out to us, please know that we will be in touch with you to schedule a time to address your concerns and go over these reports. Extensive information about brain tumors is also available on our website at nj.gov/health. I encourage current and former residents and staff of Colonia High School to review this helpful information and to contact the Department with any questions you may have. In addition, the Health Department also maintains the New Jersey State Cancer Registry on our website. The registry, which is mandated by state law, collects data on all cancer cases that have been diagnosed and/or treated in the state since October 1, 1978. All hospitals, physicians, ambulatory care facilities, radiation treatment facilities and laboratories are required to report newly diagnosed cancer cases electronically to the registry within six months of first contact with the patient. By law the registry only receives reports from cancer care providers. Residents who have been diagnosed with cancer can visit the Registry and complete a form to request summary information about their diagnosis. This process, which is available to all NJ residents diagnosed with cancer, can help to verify that their cancer information was reported to the state Health Department by their physician. If the State Cancer Registry does not have a record of an individual's cancer diagnosis, they should contact their treating physician. These reports can be found on the Health Department website at nj.gov/health Ensuring the continued protection of public health is a core principle of the New Jersey Department of Health. Our support for members of this community will continue. For today, I want to emphasize, that we hear you, many of you have lingering questions. I want to assure you that our relationship with community members on this item is a beginning, not an end. I encourage you to reach out to us to schedule a time to explore your individual concerns. Thank you. Here are Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac's remarks: http://twp.woodbridge.nj.us/Do... and all the findings from the air and grounds radiological testing: http://twp.woodbridge.nj.us/10...