Hundreds of current and former New Jersey residents have sued Ford over industrial waste the company left behind 30 years ago, according to a news agency report.
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The Associated Press said the lawsuit alleges the automaker dumped thousands of tons of paint sludge and other toxic material that contaminated Ringwood’s soil, air and groundwater.
The 717 plaintiffs, many of them Ramapough Mountain Indians, reportedly say some of the waste from Ford’s old Mahwah factory remains even after four federally supervised cleanups. They claim the waste has led to illnesses ranging from skin rashes to cancer, and threatens the Wanaque Reservoir, a key source of drinking water in northern New Jersey.
Ford spokeswoman Kathleen Vokes told AP the company is still reviewing the lawsuit and could not comment on the specific allegations.
However, Vokes reportedly said Ford has removed 13,000 tons of soil and paint sludge in the past year, and continues to work with state and local regulators to address concerns. The company has taken groundwater and surface water samples, and found no environmental problems, she added.
The Associated Press noted that, last year, the state Health Department determined that people in the region suffer from an above-average number of some cancers.
The report added that New Jersey state is home to 135 Superfund sites, named for a federal fund created in 1980 to combine taxes and polluters’ fines to pay for industrial cleanups. No other state has so many designated sites.
