Hazard NJ

Toxic “forever chemicals” became a ubiquitous part of consumer products because largely they repel water, they’re stain resistant and they’re incredibly durable. But those same properties also mean that the chemicals can persist in the environment seemingly, well, forever. That’s left regulators and scientists in New Jersey and around the world grappling with how to permanently destroy the chemicals.

Forever chemicals have been so widely used, for so many purposes, for so many decades, that they are now in all of our blood. But what does that mean for our health? A team of Rutgers University researchers are trying to help answer that question by studying the blood of residents in Paulsboro, New Jersey, where a high-profile pollution incident left the town's water supply contaminated for years.

It was 1967 when explosions and fire erupted on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam — becoming one of the deadliest blazes in Navy history and ushering in a new kind of firefighting tool. Chemical foams made with PFAS became a critical part of dealing with intense fires for decades, saving countless lives. But the toxic mess left behind after that foam was sprayed is now contaminating water systems around New Jersey and beyond.

Presenting "All Gassed Up," a limited series about liquified natural gas from the Sea Change podcast.
In this episode, hosts Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker investigate the liquified natural gas boom on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.
And what’s happening in Louisiana could eventually happen in New Jersey, too.
For years, a plan to build an LNG export terminal along the Delaware River has stirred controversy. Regulatory roadblocks under President Joe Biden have effectively put the plan on hold. But with Donald Trump set to return to the White House, the LNG debate may soon return to South Jersey.
Check out All Gassed Up, a three-part series from Sea Change that goes deep on the past, present and future of liquified natural gas. Here’s Part 1: The Carbon Coast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.