‘Public health threat’ after possible toxic waste washes up in NJ

KEYPORT — There's growing concern after chunks of contaminated material washed ashore along the bay.

The exact source seems to be a little uncertain at this time, according to NBC New York, though just miles away is the Raritan Bay Slag superfund site.

NBC credits Greg Remaud, CEO and baykeeper with NYNJ Baykeeper, with discovering the chunks that later tested positive for lead. A "public health threat" is how Remaud is classifying the situation.

NJ.com says the Environmental Protection Agency and Remaud have been in communication as part of the investigation.

Lawmakers have their eye on the situation.

“The concern is that the Raritan Slag site… we never had a situation where pieces of the seawall, with the lead for example, were breaking off. The concern always was the lead would seep into the water, not that the pieces would break off. So this is very disconcerting," U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J. 6th District, said to NBC New York.

Pallone is urging the EPA to determine if the Raritan Bay Slag is to blame, and then to take swift action to tackle the concern.