The Roebling Steel Company site in New Jersey was contaminated by lead released over many years of steel production. Lead contamination spread through soil, groundwater, and air, affecting nearby residential areas that obtained drinking water from wells near the site. Epidemiological studies have linked lead exposure to developmental effects in children as well as neurological, reproductive, and other health impacts in humans and animals. The contamination degraded the local environment and ecosystem through pathways like biomagnification of lead in the food chain. The EPA conducted extensive cleanup and control efforts to reduce risks to public health from the contaminated Roebling Steel Company Superfund site.

1. 1
Evan Gross
IssuesinEnvironmental&Occupational Health
Roebling Steel Co. Superfund Site
Event & Contaminant Properties
 In one shortparagraph, please introduce the eventandthe contaminantresponsible.
 The RoeblingSteel Companywasaformerwire productsand steel manufacturerplant,
operatedbyseveral differentcompaniesandtenantsoverthe years, whichwasinvolvedwith
famousprojectssuchas the GoldenGate Bridge andthe George WashingtonBridge.Itwas
closedinthe 1970’s, and declaredafederal Superfundsite in1982. It is a 200-acre site,located
inFlorence TownshipinBurlingtonCounty,NJalongthe Delaware River.Althoughithelped
produce beautiful bridgesandotherusesforsociety withsteel,the landitoccupied became
contaminatedfromthe productionthatwasdone on the landfor years. Althoughthisisa
complicatedsite withseveral contaminantsandmethodsof cleanupandcontrol of hazardous
issues, Iwill focusonthe effectsof leadandhow itcontaminated soil,groundwater,andairof
RoeblingSteelCo.(http://www.epa.gov/Region2/superfund/npl/0200439c.pdf).
 Was thissubstance the cause of a contaminationpriortothisevent?If so,how and where?
 There wasnot a specificeventof contamination,butacumulatingof yearsof unsafe practices
on the RoeblingSteelSuperfundsite, whichledtoliquidwastes,solidwastes,andgasesof
containingleadbeingreleasesintothe atmosphere contaminatingair,soil,andwaterways in
and aroundthe RoeblingSteel Co.site (“RECORDOFDECISION” 848590013-14). The
contaminatedmediumswere soil(includingslagarea),sediment,andgroundwater
(848590007).
 What isthe currentresidentialpopulationinthe townwhere thisreleaseoccurred?
 The current populationaccordingtothe 2010 US Censusinthe townof Roebling,NJ,the
locationof RoeblingSteelCo.is3,715 (“Your GeographySelections”).
 Were the residentsof thisareasuppliedbypublicwater,ordidtheyhave private wells?
 Residentsof the areaare suppliedbypublicsuppliedwells2mileswestof the site. (“RECORDOF
DECISION”848590011). The cityof Burlington,whichisapproximately6milesdownstreamfrom
Roebling,obtainswaterfromthe Delaware River,alongwithshallowgroundwaterwells.The
groundwaterfrom the Roeblingsite flowssouthwestfromthe site directlyintothe Delaware
River.
 How isthiscontaminantgenerallyused(industrial,commercial and/orsocietal uses)?
 Lead isa heavysoftmetal that has beenusedin waterpipes,pottery,ammunition,radiation
shielding, instained-glasswindows, additiveingasoline, lead-acidstorage batteries, building
material, andmore!(“LeadStatisticsandInformation”).
 Was thiscontaminantreleasedinagaseous,liquidorsolidform?
 The contaminantleadisa solid.It was mixedintoliquids,due todifferentprocessesinthe mills,
intoan effluentthatwasreleasedintothe groundwater. The millsusedlarge amountsof water
inproduction,andleadwouldcontaminate groundandsurface areas,alongwiththe effluent
flowingintothe Delaware River.Leadwasalsoreleasedintothe atmosphereasa gas. (“RECORD
OF DECISION” 848590013-14).
 Is thissubstance typicallyfoundcombinedwithotherharmful and/orbenignchemicals?
 Lead isan element,butisrarelyfoundinthatstate.Instead,itisusuallyfoundinitsoxidative
state,inoresthroughoutthe world(Sanders).These orescancontaincopper,zinc,andsilver

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and leadisusuallyextractedwiththese metals.Itisfoundinthe environmentnaturally,but
areas withhigherconcentrationare due tohumansusinglead,whichcausesthe environmentto
become contaminated.Leadalsowasfoundmixedwithtoxicchemicalsingasoline,andwould
evaporate intothe skythencome back to contaminate waterwhenitrains("WaterTreatment
Solutions"). Inthe case of Roebling,leadwasinprocessedwater,alongwithiron,zinc,oil,
chloride,phosphate,sulfate,soap,andspentpickleacid.Itwasalsofoundinsoil waste and was
releasedasvolatilizedgasintoenvironmental,andresidueswerefoundonprocessequipment
inthe factories(“RECORDOFDECISION” 848590014).
Human & Animal Health
 What humanroutesof exposure are associatedwiththiscontaminant?
 Most humanroutesof exposure toleadare ingestionandinhalation.Absorptionisapossible
but notlikelywayof beingexposedtoleadbecause leadedgasoline use hasceased.However,
organicleadworkershave a higherchance than the general populationatbeingexposedtolead
viainhalation. Ingestionisthe mostcommonroute of exposure forchildrendue tomanytoys
and paintscontaininglead,along withthe sweettaste leadhas ("LeadToxicity"16-20).
 What acute and/orchronichealtheffectshave beenassociatedwiththiscontaminant?
 Lead can be absorbed,ingested,orinhaled.Accordingtothe CDC,there isno thresholdfor
developmental effectsinchildren.The CDC alsostatedthatlead couldalsoaffecteveryorgan
systeminthe body,withthe nervoussystembeingthe mostsensitive due toleadbeinga
neurotoxicagentandcan leadtomany differentneurological effects("LeadToxicity" 30-7).
Reproductive functionscanalsobe affected,suchasdecreasedspermcountsinmen,andas we
watchedinclassabout the womanand herdisabledson,exposure toleadwhilepregnantcan
leadto disabledchildren. AccordingtoMoeller, generallyspeaking, whenleadisinhaled, itcan
accumulate inbone,softtissues,andblood.Since leadisnoteasilyexcreted,itcanleadto
affectsof the kidneys,nervoussystem, liver,andotherorgansthat produce bloodinthe body,
and withincreasedexposure comes neurological problems,forexample seizures,mental
retardation,and/orbehavioral problems (Moeller98).
 Is thiscontaminanta knownorsuspectedcarcinogen,teratogen,mutagen,neurotoxin,
immunotoxinorreproductive risk?
 Lead isa knownas a developmentalneurotoxicantthatcan affectthe brainand itsdevelopment
and function.Researchhasshownithaseffectsonthe central nervoussystem(CNS) and
exposuresasayouthcan leadto problemslaterinlife.Leadexposure cancause memory,vision,
cognitive,andbehavioral problems,alongwithmental retardation.Allthese effectsare
associatedwiththe brain(Sanders).AccordingtoDictionary.com, neurotoxicis“poisonousto
nerve tissue,astothe brain or spinal cord,”and neurotoxinis“aneurotoxicsubstance,as
rattlesnake venomorthe poisonof ablack widow spider.” Leadisalsoa neurotoxicsubstance,
and isfoundnaturallyinthe environmentinsoil underground.
 Have any epidemiological studiesbeenconducted,linkingthiscontaminantwithillness?
 There are several epidemiological studiesthathave beenconductedthathave linkedleadwith
illness,especiallyoneslinkedtoproblemsduringpregnancyandreproduction,alongwithmany
showingleadtohave effects onneurobiological development.These includedcohort,case-
control study,ecological andcross-sectional studies.Anyof these studiescanbe searched
online,usinggooglescholarorotherscholarlyresearch-findingsources. There isnospecific
epidemiological studyfoundregardingleadexposure onthe RoeblingSteel site. Forexample,
there wasan epidemiological studycompletedwithagroupof 434 womenthatshowedthat
earlymenopause wasrelatedtohigherexposureof lead.Itshowedthatthe highestlead

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exposedgrouphadmenopause 1.21yearsearlierthan didwomeninthe lowestleadexposed
group.Thisstudy concludedthatlevelsof exposure tolead couldbringonmenopause for
womenat a fasterrate (Eum).
 Are there human/animal/cell toxicologicalstudiescitingthe specificriskstothiscontaminant?
 There wasa studydone in rats that showedthatexposure tolead isa riskfactor for
osteoporosisbecauseleadwasshowntodecrease bone densityinratsalongwithalso
decreasingthe abilityforrats toheal fromfractures(Sharifi 225). Part of the reasonof thisis
because leadisstoredinbone marrow,andcan be transferredtootherparts of the body,
includingthe blood,whichshowsinhighlevelsof leadinaperson’sblood(Riedt90).
 What otherhealthriskshasthiscontaminantbeenshowntopose tohumansand animals?
 Some healthriskswere noticedinthe assessmentof Rochester,NYpopulation,whichcontained
childrenwithanaverage rate overthe safe limitsof leaddue tomany oldhousesbuiltwithlead
paint.Impactsfromthis exposure inMonroe County,inwhichRochesterislocated,included
over1,000 childrenwhowere 6x as likelytohave learningdisabilities, more than1,000 children
7x as likelythantheirpeerstodropoutof highschool,andover1000 childrenwhowere lost
earningpotential bynothavingIQ’s10 pointshigher (Stoss290).
 What kindsof workersmightbe at riskin handlingthiscontaminant?
 Workerswhoworkedonlandsof the RoeblingSteelCo. andpeople whocleaned upthe site
possiblycouldbe atriskbecause the abilitytobe exposedtoleadwaspresent.Inaddition,
anglersinthe Delaware Riverorpeople whouseditforrecreationcouldhave beenincontact
withleadcontaminationinthe water. The goal of the EPA’scause was “to protectpublichealth
or welfare orthe environmentfromactual or threatenedreleasesof hazardoussubstancesfrom
the site intothe environment”(“RECORDOFDECISION”848590002).
Environmental Health
 Throughwhichenvironmental medium/mediawasthiscontaminantreleased?
 The contaminantwasreleasedinthe water,soil,andsedimentation. Itwasalsoreleasesinto
atmosphere asvolatilizedgas(“RECORDOFDECISION” 848590014).
 Didthe contaminationremaininimmediate proximityto the source,ordidit become more
widespreadanddiffuse?If so,how?
 Acidiceffluentcontainingleadandotherheavymetalswasreleasedfrompartof the factory
ownedbyCF & I (ColoradoFuel andIron) intothe Delaware River,causingthe water
environmenttobecome messedupdue tothe low pH of the water.Whereverthiswater
traveled,dependingonthe currentof the river,iswhere itdiffused.Thiswasdiscoveredwhen
the NJDOH wenttoinvestigate the plant,anddiscovered15-milliongallonsof untreatedeffluent
was beingreleasedonadailybasis(“RECORDOF DECISION” 848590015).
 Was the particularincident/eventinyourarticle(s) responsible fordegradationtothe environment
or personal property?
 As the EPA investigated,there wereresponsible partiesthatcontributedtothe degradationof
the environmentonthe settingof the RoeblingSteel Co(848590020-21).
 Were there anyfar-reachingeffectsonthe ecosystematlarge,like biomagnificationof the
contaminantthroughthe foodchain?
 Lead usuallyaccumulatesinsurface groundwater andaccumulates inplantsinanimalswhich
thenhumanseat,so biomagnificationdoesoccurthroughthe foodchain (Ong1549).
Summary

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 Whichfederal,state and/orlocal governmental agencieshadastake inthiscontamination?
 The EPA was the leadagencyinthe cleanupof the site.The NJDEP isa supportagencyinvolved
withthe site. The site wasput onthe National Prioritieslistbythe EPA (“RECORDOF DECISION”
848590011).
 Is there,orwas there,anongoinginvestigationandcleanupinvolvingthisevent/site?(i.e.,wasthe
site declaredafederal Superfundsite withrequisiteabatement?).
 RoeblingSteelCo. wasputon the National PrioritieslistinDecember1982, and wasdeclareda
federal Superfundsite in September1983. In 1985, a remedial investigationandfeasibilitystudy
was completedbythe EPA anddecidedtohandle the manydifferentcontaminationspresentin
differentphases(848590017). From priorknowledge,the formersedimentareahasbeen
cleanedoutandis nowa part for the communitytoenjoy.
 Were any finesoradministrative penaltiesimposedonthe generator,distributororstorage facility
involvedwiththiscontaminant?
 In 1985 and 1987, general notice lettersweresenttopotential responsible parties(PRP)
following the Comprehensive EnvironmentalResponse,CompensationandLiabilityActof 1980
(CERCLA),whichwasamended,toinformpastandpresentownersof theirinvolvementin
environmental contamination.NoPRPrespondedatthat time.Eventually,throughsearching
theyfoundthatCF & I,a formersite operator,hadreleasedorpotentiallyreleased
environmental contaminantssuchasleadthroughtheirunsafe handlingpractices. CF& I was
undergoingbankruptcy.Eventuallyitwasall sorted out,andin August1995, CF & I paid the EPA
$2.2 milliondollars(“RECORDOFDECISION” 848590020-21).
 What didlocal officialsdotocommunicate the risktothe publicorinvolve theminasolution?
 AftertownofficialsandresidentsfoundoutaboutRoeblingasaSuperfundsite in1983 on the
news,townofficialstookmeasurestokeepthe communityinvolvedinthe followingyears.
However,townofficialscontendtheywere notbriefedpriortorelease of the information,and
communicationbetweenstate andfederal officialswaspoor.Concerninthe townwasveryhigh
and so wasresidentinvolvement.The EPA became involvedwithinformingthe publicbyhaving
several informationsessions,attendingtownmeetings,andprovidingfactsheetsonthe
RoeblingSteelEPA website. Publicinterestinthe cleanupof the site remainedhighthroughthe
cleanupprocess (848590259-60).
 In youropinion,couldthiscontaminationhave beeneasily prevented?How?
 In myopinion,Ithinkthiscontaminationcouldhave beenpreventedif the knowledgewe have
nowwas applied whenthe RoeblingSteelCo.wasestablished. If today’srulesandregulations
were ineffect whenthe factorywasbeingbuilt,manyof the chemicalsusedinproduction
wouldnothave beenused. One tool thatcouldbe appliedinthe contaminationof leadin
Roeblingisthe Hierarchyof Controls,aslearnedinDr.Cohen’slessononOccupational Healthat
the RutgersSchool of PublicHealthonJuly 30, 2015. Thissystemisusedto reduce and/or
eliminatehazardousexposure inthe workplace. The toptwostepsof the Hierarchyof Controls
are EliminationandSubstitution,respectively,andthese are usedtoavoidthe hazard being
presentaltogether,whichinthe topicof thispaper, wouldbe avoidingthe use of leadin
operationsatthe RoeblingSteel Factory.Eliminationisphysicallyremovingthe hazard,and
substitutionisreplacingthe hazards.Byavoidingleadinthe workplace,italsopreventsthe
environmentfrom beinginfectedwiththe hazard,causingdamage toplants,animals,and
residentsinthe local area. Anotherstepthatcould have beenusedwaslearnedinthe Resource
ConservationandRecoveryAct,andthatconceptis cradle to grave.If RoeblingSteel Co. were
more responsibleinhandlingtheirownwastes,theywouldhave beenmore thoughtful intheir
abilitytouse and recycle theirownwastes.

5. 5
Citations
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