Pollen and air quality forecast for toms river, nj with air quality index, pollutants, pollen count and pollution map from weather underground. A story of science and salvation is a 20 nonfiction book by the american author dan fagin. At 90%, the majority of the toms river population is white. Toms river a toms river man pleaded guilty to dealing cocaine, and he faces a possible eight years in prison. Notorious toms river superfund site gets 5 more years of water testing. The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river. In the township as a whole, as well as in the toms river section of the town. By the mid1960s, people living in toms river noticed that their drinking water had a medicinal taste and smell.
I want to hear about what you thought about this book. The true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river won the 2014 pulitzer prize and has been hailed by. Toms river is a township in ocean county, new jersey, united states. For more information, please go to the summary document of the consultation, the associated citizens guide, or the health care provider update. Cancerlinked contaminants found in toms river tap water.
Cancerlinked contaminants found in tap water toms river, nj a new. Toms river cancer cluster still a mystery despite 20 years. But, over 60 years ago, the jersey shore town became home to cibageigys chemical plant. Dan fagin has written a powerful and important book. Chemical found at toms river superfund site didnt cause. Toms river is a township in ocean county, new jersey, united states, and the county seat of ocean county. While the grand story arc encompasses hundreds of years of history, the parts relating to toms river focus on approximately the last 60 years. The increase of population and activity in the yamuna watershed is placing increasingly exigent demands upon its.
Toms river tourism, new jersey toms river travel guide. Department of health environmental health toms river. The delhi and yamuna sound unfamiliar, although the river is the main source of water supply to the city and plays most crucial role in its growth. Learn more about the background on how industrial pollution by cibageigy corporation in toms river was linked to increased childhood cancer clusters. In the 1960s, the lower river was found to have been polluted for many years from the open. Located in the state of new jersey, toms river is a moderatelysized city with a population of 88,537 residents. One of the most spectacular accomplishments that has happened to. Toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a ripping scientific detective story. This book chronicles the long struggle as many members of the community noticed a large number of children with cancer and tried to get the government to investigate and clean up the problem. Book explores toms rivers toxic history with industrial. Toms river a chemical found in the treated water of a superfund site in toms river believed to be associated with a childhood cancer cluster.
It is a common belief that the town of toms river was named after thomas luker, a. Linking industrial pollution to cancer in toms river nj. Now available in paperback with a new afterword by acclaimed author dan fagin, the book masterfully blends hardhitting investigative journalism, scientific discovery, and unforgettable characters. The plant was producing five million gallons of wastewater by the 1970s. The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping narrative in the tradition of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies, and the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Cities have been known by the rivers that flow nearbylandon and thames, rome and the traverse, paris and seince, banaras and ganga. It is about the dumping of industrial pollution by chemical companies including cibageigy, in toms river, new. Hi adam, well, my grandparents sold their cottage near toms river the town in. If you have a family or if you are looking to live in a neighborhood where you feel safe, then toms river is the place to be in new jersey. Since the 1990s, toms river families affected by cancer linked to industrial pollution have been pursuing a classaction lawsuit against the cibageigy corporation, union carbide corporation, and the united water toms river.
Fagin recounts the sixtyyear saga of rampant pollution and inadequate oversight that made toms river a cautionary tale. Toms river when scientists recently told a group of toms river residents that a substance found in their drinking water nearly 20 years ago. The new york times the true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river won the 2014 pulitzer prize and has been hailed by the new york times as a new classic of science reporting. This is a work of nonfiction that chronicles the historical aspects of environmental science, and how pollution leads to illness. Toms river, new jersey city information, fast facts. Toms river drinking water contains erin brockovich toxin. The 15 best things to do in toms river coronavirus. Industrial waste like this went into rivers untreated in the 1960s in the united states.
In the township as a whole, as well as in the toms river section of the town, both leukemias and brain cancers were elevated, particularly among female children under age 5 years. Its many headwater tributaries begin in western ocean county, draining a large area of the pinelands, and eventually the river flows into barnegat bay, 11 miles north of the barnegat inlet. At once intimate and objective, toms river is the heartbreaking account of one towns struggle with a legacy of toxic pollution. The story of chemical waste and its tragic consequences in the town of toms river, new jersey. The toms river subwatershed is 124 square miles, the largest drainage area of any river in the barnegat bay watershed. I appreciate the way fagin gives you all of the surrounding facts you could. The true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river won the. Toms river, new jersey, in ocean county, is 51 miles e of philadelphia, pennsylvania. Toms river, nj a toms river man who was one of five people charged in a heroin distribution ring last december has pleaded guilty to distributing. He brings to life the pioneering scientists and physicians who first identified. In toms river, we go from the dawn of the synthetic dye industry in europe in the 1850s, to the cincinnati chemical works of the 1920s, to the chemical plant coming to. A story of science and salvation traces the story of a new jersey town plagued by two generations of.
A story of science and salvation, was published in 20 by dan fagin, a professor at new york university. Department of health environmental health toms river township. The city of toms river, new jersey, suffered decades of pollution from toxic waste both from a large chemical company and an illegal dumpsite. A book that deftly combines investigative reporting and historical research to. A story of science and salvation the debate as to whether environmental pollution caused a deadly cancer cluster in toms river has gone on for decades.
Description old tom the river keeper tells us about his river and the natural life that surrounds it. Fagin tells the story of how a small new jersey town fought back against industrial pollution and astronomical rates of childhood cancer, and. For many years ciba geigy polluted the toms river a river that flows into barnegat bay with waste from its dye manufacturing facility. Notorious toms river superfund site gets 5 more years of. On november 7, 2006, voters approved a change of the official name from the township of dover or, dover township to the township of toms river, effective november 14, 2006. The true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river has been hailed by the new york times as a new classic of science reporting.
Toms river may not seem like a prime example of a town struggling with industrial pollution. A story of science and salvation, i saw a tv replay of the movie, a civil action, starring jon travolta. It is part of the surrounding monmouth ocean metro area. Toms river, nj toms rivers water supply tested positive for chromium6, the cancercausing toxin that was made famous in the 2000 julia roberts movie erin brockovich, according to a. Danny devito options rights for book about toms river pollution. Cibageigy and the toms river cancer cluster settlement.
For all their disappointment, the parents of toms river have a success story to tell, compared with a dozen or more other places around the country, in. A booklet ciba produced in 1953 included photos of the wastehandling system and assured. Book explores toms rivers toxic history with industrial pollution author dan fagin spoke with toms river patch about his book chronicling a dark time in the townships history by gregory. Because toms river chemical had no environmental department, however, coping with the manifold consequences of the plants burgeoning waste discharges was an unwelcome part of cranes portfolio. Its mainland portion is also a censusdesignated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of ocean county. Overall this report is missing some important facts.
The riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story. The cibageigy corporation formerly toms river chemical company, and. Winner of the pulitzer prize winner of the new york public librarys helen bernstein book award a new classic of science reporting. The toms river study is one of only two studies in the u. It is ironic that within a week after reading dan fagins book, toms river.
The swiss had hoped that dilution would mask its pollution of the toms river, just as they had hoped it would in the rhine and the ohio. For the readers of a civil action, the emperor of all maladies and the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Fagin doesnt resolve the water companys knowing delivery of polluted water. Reich farm, located off route 9 in toms rivers pleasant plains section, has been on the epas superfund list of. From 19521990, the cibageigy corporation since acquired by basf operated a dye manufacturing plant in toms river. It is about the dumping of industrial pollution by. Environmental contamination associated with the cgc site has resulted in a high level of. Pollution from the ciba facility and from a nearby dumpsite where more than. Toms river the silver bay elementary school pto is hosting a community bake sale. The new york times the riveting true story of a small town ravaged by industrial pollution, toms river melds hardhitting investigative reporting, a fascinating scientific detective story, and an unforgettable cast of characters into a sweeping. Chemical troubles in toms river may 6, 20 issue vol.