Residents of Upper Ringwood, NJ, have long complained of skin rashes, nosebleeds, chronic bronchitis and other ailments, including elevated rates of diabetes and cancer. From the mid-1950s to the late-1970s Ford churned out millions of cars from a plant in nearby Mahwah. When it closed the plant, Ford dumped thousands of tons of paint sludge and other waste in nearby Upper Ringwood, according to the EPA. A few years later, the EPA identified Upper Ringwood as a priority clean-up area under its Superfund program. Ford spent five years clearing sludge and other pollutants from the area. Yet follow-up studies of the soil and groundwater in the area by the EPA and by Ford now conclude that is among the messiest industrial cleanup efforts in the Superfund's 27-year history. Several thousand tons of waste were overlooked. Potentially hazardous paint sludge has been found in the backyards of several homes. So last year residents sued Ford in a New Jersey state court for property damage and personal injury. The "New York Times" examines the environmental and legal mess that has languished since.
Decades Later, Clean-Up at a Ford Plant Continues
Residents of Upper Ringwood, NJ, have long complained of skin rashes, nosebleeds, chronic bronchitis and other ailments, including elevated rates of diabetes and cancer. From the mid-1950s to the late-1970s Ford churned out millions of cars from a plant in nearby Mahwah. When it closed the plant, Ford dumped thousands of tons of paint sludge […]
