Sunday, May 10, 2009

NYC not the only stupid municipality

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The legal battle will continue over who should pay for the $1 million cleanup of a New Jersey day care center where children were exposed to mercury.

The state Department of Environmental Protection says it will appeal last week's ruling by a state judge, who voided the deed to the Kiddie Kollege building in Gloucester County.

The judge said the real estate broker who acquired the Franklin Township site in a tax-lien sale and foreclosure process wasn't adequately warned it was contaminated and is not responsible for the cleanup costs.

The DEP had planned to demolish the building and bill the owner.

About 100 children were exposed to mercury vapors at the center, which was on the site of a former thermometer factory. It was closed in July 2006 after officials found high mercury levels.


They allowed a day care center to open on the site of a former thermometer factory and then were shocked that the site was contaminated with mercury. This one takes the cake...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You mean the same mercury that is in those energy-efficient light bulbs? You know what I mean. If they break, they become toxic. If you don't recycle them properly, they become toxic. I really feel for future generations of glow in the dark kids!

Anonymous said...

It goes to show ya - builders will build anything to make a buck. It's up to us to investigate the site and make sure it's a safe place for our kids. Do not trust the city to ensure our safety.

In my other school, there used to be lots of white dust falling out of the ceiling before the school went under massive repair. I don't even want to think about what that could've been. I hope none of that make me sick. The city listens when people sue their butts.

It's too bad there are so many frivolous lawsuits out there, that the legitimate ones aren't given the proper attention.

Anonymous said...

Many years ago thermometer company executives who set up an illegal mercury reclamation unit to recycle the metal from broken thermometers were shocked when they were tried for manslaughter after their unprotected workers died.

Life is cheap, money is dear. We need to start fighting back.

ew-3 said...

IG - builders are in the business to make profits. Can't really blame them.
But we pay government officials to make sure builders follow codes. Let's find out who approved this builders plan and gave them a cretificate of occupancy. They are the guilty parties.
I've always been amazed that I am required to pay to have a building inspector check out anything I do, but if what I do is wrong and later causes a problem, the inspector is not held responsible. Must be great to have a job in which you can screw up and not be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

Either they are incompetent (which is the city's fault for hiring them) or they are bribed (also the city's fault for paying them beans). How do we fix this?

ew-3 said...

fire 'em

the paper trail is easy, they signed off on the project or did the inspection etc...

problem is government never gets rid of the bad ones...

Anonymous said...

The problem is the government never hires the good ones in the first place. The city is known for demanding top notch talent for very little pay. How can you attract the "best" if you pay sh#@?It's no wonder the inspectors don't do or are not capable of doing their jobs. Not to mention the ones taht accept bribes for looking the other way.

Anonymous said...

True comment one! Just like those supposed "green" bulbs made in china with tons of mercury in them. If they break your not to be in the same room immediately afterwards because it spreads everywhere.
Thanks politicians who came from the chemical,pesticide, and big oil sector to tell us about safe products, while they make a buck off of leftover toxic garbage. That goes for Gore too with his hypocritical past of oil co, coal tobacco, etc.

Linda said...

WOW, I really hope Bloomberg and the SCA are reading this! my complaint with the H.S. in Maspeth
were the levels of mercury they want to vent into the air of Maspeth. My concerns were for the children that would be attending the H.S.(that we don't want),P.S. 58 (a block away), and our community. Hello mercury kills brain cells! what is wrong with this city? they don't care their children will never go to the schools, so poison ours.

Anonymous said...

Hello mercury kills brain cells! what is wrong with this city?
***********************************
You mean a city that distributed toxic (mercury gas filled) light bulbs to low income housing developments? It's not as if kids play around and break them or anything. And if they do accidentally break a bulb, I am sure they were properly instructed on how to safely clean up the toxic mess. So what if kids also have to inhale these fumes as they sit in classrooms of building built on known toxic sites? Sheesh. We must be wrong because our Mayor Turdberg would never allow such a thing, would he?

linda said...

well i guess bloomass is looking to kill everyone off for his "special interest"