'Black dust' samples taken from residences Steel mill reps meet with residents as labs test material BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Rich Toogood, an environmental field scientist from Severn Trent Labs, Edison, secures a swab of dust material taken from the windowsill of a home on Modzelewski Terrace in Sayreville. Below: Andrew Biskupski, of Integrated Analytical Labs, Randolph, takes samples. Workers from two environmental firms collected samples of "black dust" from more than a dozen Sayreville properties last week to learn more about the material and its origins. The firms were chosen by the Sayreville Environmental Commission and the Gerdau Ameristeel mill, North Crossman Road, which residents of the area claim is the source of the material that accumulates on their homes. Residents have also cited problems with odors and noise that they say is coming from the plant. Pat Walsh, chairman of the Environmental Commission, said the testing previously done by Chapin Engineering on behalf of Edison Wetlands Association was not witnessed and thus its findings were unofficial. That environmental group found the "black dust" to contain lead, mercury and other hazardous materials. "The steel company told us that it was compromised, since nobody witnessed it," Walsh said. "I'm not saying it was or wasn't. As a matter of fact, I don't think it was [compromised], but they won't work with us if we don't give them a shot." Neighbors of the steel mill went to the commission's Aug. 7 meeting to learn more about the testing being done at their homes the same week. Commission Vice Chairman Ronald Green said the dust samples were being collected using wipes. Two samples were being taken from the front of each home and two more from the rear. The wipes are then placed in oxidized water in a canister and labeled with the name of the homeowner and the address before being sent to the labs. The samplings took approximately 45 minutes per house and were finished by Aug. 9, Green said. Most of the homes were located on roads off Main Street and Horseshoe Road, and one home was tested from the Main Street Townhomes community west of the mill. Walsh said the steel mill is cooperating with the borough and is in the early stages of finding out what is happening. The steel mill has increased the amount of washing it does in the neighborhoods surrounding the mill, Walsh added. Resident Ann Mazonec said that while a truck does comes by to water down the area, it has not been helpful, since it kicks up more dust in its path. Resident Shirley Reid said that this dust gets into her pool and has ruined the paint on her soft-top car. Mark Quiring, vice president and general manager of the steel mill, responded that the company has increased its watering, but the sweeper behind the pickup truck required maintenance because it was not picking up the material. The truck is no longer kicking up dust, he said. Gerdau Ameristeel recently called on select residents who have spoken out on the issue to join a panel formed by the mill, so that they can seek out feedback and advice, Quiring said. The Citizens Advisory Panel (CAP) had its first meeting recently and will have another one next month. Timothy Eppinger, one of the residents invited to join the panel, said he was disappointed with the first CAP meeting, since no representatives of the borough attended and only five of the 18 invited residents showed up. Eppinger said the Middlesex County Department of Public Health is also doing testing in the community, as well as spot inspections three times a week. Green said reports from the county health department confirmed the presence of light dusting on surfaces in the area and on motor vehicles parked on the streets in the neighborhood. Dates that the dust was found in appreciable quantities were July 13, 20, 24 and 26. "Other spot checks turned up negative," Green said. IMS/Tube City, a separate steel slag operation that runs on the Gerdau property, is back in operation after temporarily being shut down by the borough for lack of proper permitting. A court injunction allowed it to operate for now. With regard to complaints about idling trucks at the plant, Gerdau Environmental Manager Rey S. Morales said the mill ordered signs from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) advising that trucks not idle at the location beyond permitted amounts of time. "We are in the process of installing these signs to address the idling of these trucks when they are stopped on North Crossman Road," Morales said. Eppinger raised concerns about an orange cloud that he said the plant emits. "The substance continually leaves the plant," Eppinger said. Morales said the orange clouds are basically composed of iron and are not considered to be volatile organic compounds. Ronald Wastowski, supervisor of environmental health for the county health department, was at last week's commission meeting. He told the Suburban that the county fined the mill $1,000 for the iron oxide emissions in January. He said the amount of any subsequent fines will be increased. Quiring summarized the mill's intentions to residents at the Aug. 7 meeting. "We're going to do what's right," Quiring said. "We don't want to be here [before the Environmental Commission]. "Our intent is to solve this problem," he added. The test results are expected at the end of this month or in early September. The results will be given to the borough engineer for analysis, according to Walsh. The next Environmental Commission meeting is scheduled for Sept. 5 at borough hall. The meetings will normally be held on the first Tuesday of the month from now on, according to Green. Residents who wish to report releases or other complaints can call the DEP at 1-877-WARN-DEP or the Middlesex County Air Pollution Control Program at (732) 745-8480. After hours complaints can be reported to the Middlesex County Sheriffs Department at (732) 745-3271. Eppinger said he called to make another complaint yesterday when he found gray metallic dust covering his car. "I picked it up with a magnet," Eppinger said. "It was very light. It sounded like they were grinding slag all day [Tuesday], so I was expecting this." Eppinger said he would like to see the mill acknowledge its responsibility for the material. "I hope that they own up to the fact that this material is coming from their property," Eppinger said, "because without that, nothing can be accomplished."