Hazard NJ

Hazard NJ Season 2, Episode 1: First a Miracle, Then a Curse

It was 1938 at a DuPont laboratory in far South Jersey when scientists stumbled upon the chemical that would become known as Teflon. The accidental discovery became a scientific miracle, laying the groundwork for an entirely new class of incredibly durable chemicals that would be used for all sorts of purposes. But that progress came with a toxic hidden cost that has only recently become fully understood. Now, the small town where it all started is on the frontlines of a global pollution crisis.

Hazard NJ Season 2: Forever Chemicals

They are called PFAS or “forever chemicals.” They originated here in New Jersey decades ago with a promise of a future made easier by science. They’ve spread into countless products, and polluted countless places throughout the world. Now, they are even in our blood. Hazard NJ returns for a second season to take a deep dive into the history of these toxic substances, the current pollution crisis and the ways it is being addressed. Hosted by journalist Jordan Gass-Pooré, produced by NJ Spotlight News.

BONUS EPISODE: New taxes, new progress

It's been two years since the federal taxes that bring money to the Superfund program were reinstated, and the results are already being seen at pollution clean-ups around the nation. A recent report published by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment America found that that billions of dollars are being collected, allowing previously stalled work at dozens of Superfund sites to finally move forward -- including 10 in New Jersey.

Shoring up flood protection for the Meadowlands

New Jersey's Meadowlands were swamped in 2012 when Superstorm Sandy washed ashore, causing widespread flooding in towns like Little Ferry along the Hackensack River. The next generation of flood protections for the area have been planned in the years since: Now, more than $46 million is being committed to bring those plans to life.

BONUS EPISODE: A Plan for Hudson River Muck

In Edgewater, on the banks of the Hudson River and in the shadow of the glitzy Manhattan skyline, the Quanta Resources Superfund site is finally a big step closer to being cleaned up. Last month, the EPA unveiled a new plan to deal with pollution that has seeped into the Hudson River from the tainted land. It’s a major step for a site that has already spent decades on the Superfund list, at the heart of an urban, redeveloping community. To learn more about the Quanta Resources site, check out Episode 7 of Hazard NJ “A Headache on the Hudson.”

REWIND: Happy Earth Day from Hazard NJ

Happy Earth Day from Hazard NJ and NJ Spotlight News! Thank you all for taking the time to listen to our podcast, and learn about the ways in which climate change is impacting some of New Jersey’s most toxic places. We’re happy to say that we are already working on our next season, which will take a hard look at a new pollution threat in the Garden State and beyond: PFAS, also called “forever chemicals.” We’ll have more on that soon, but for now, here’s a look back at the second half of Season 1.

BONUS EPISODE: Small Steps, Big Money for the Passaic

Small steps forward this week on the clean-up of the lower Passaic River, where past dumping of Agent Orange and other chemicals created a toxic mess that is now one of the nation’s largest Superfund sites. But that progress comes as one of the main companies on the hook for the work is pushing hard against a deal the EPA has made with other polluters.

Episode 8: The Resurrection of Price’s Pit

The decades-long drip, drip, drip of toxic chemicals from the Price Landfill in South Jersey reached crisis levels in the early '80s when the hazardous plume threatened to taint the water supply for the Atlantic City area. The site earned an emergency response and the reputation as the most polluted Superfund site in America. Now, more than 40 years later, Price Landfill has entered a new chapter…  And this time, it's helping not harming.

BONUS Episode: Polluters Pay Up on the Passaic

Efforts to clean up the lower stretch of the Passaic River are getting a $150 million boost, thanks to a new settlement between the federal government and 85 likely polluters. This stretch of the river, running through Newark and nearby towns, is coated with a lining of toxic mud, tainted by decades and decades of chemical dumping. Getting it cleaned up will be difficult – and expensive. At roughly $1.8 billion, the Passaic River is estimated to be the costliest project currently facing the EPA’s Superfund program. That makes the settlement a small, but welcome, step forward.

Damages: Wild Rice Goes to Court

We’re bringing you a special episode from the podcast “Damages”, which examines court cases that matter in the fight against climate change. In this episode, “Damages” host Amy Westervelt takes listeners to Minnesota, where the rights of threatened wild rice (or manoomin in the Ojibwe language) are considered in the face of efforts to build the Line 3 pipeline across the state. Check it out, and be sure to follow “Damages” wherever you get your podcasts.