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Initial Data from Deer at Ringwood Superfund Site Released; Further Analysis Planned

Release Date: 03/09/2007
Contact Information: Patricia Carr (212) 637-3652, [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.) Initial findings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study of deer conducted at the Ringwood Mines/Landfill Superfund site in Ringwood, N.J., show no elevated levels of metals and other contaminants, including lead, in muscle and liver tissue. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection collected three deer from the Ringwood site in January and EPA tested edible muscle tissue and the liver of each deer for contaminants that may be related to waste disposal at the site, including lead. Preliminary review of the data indicates that lead was detectable in only one of the three livers at a concentration of 0.175 parts per million, which is slightly above the minimum amount that can be detected.

"While this data is still being evaluated by EPA, we wanted to share it with the public right away," EPA Regional Administrator Alan J. Steinberg said. “Meanwhile, EPA’s efforts to clean up the contamination at the Ringwood site are progressing on schedule.”

EPA will further analyze the data from deer at the site and will continue to consult with federal and New Jersey health and environmental agencies. EPA also collected deer from off the Ringwood site and will use that data as a basis for comparison.

As part of its ongoing biota study at the Ringwood site, EPA has begun to collect wild turkeys and rabbits and plans to sample additional squirrels and small mammals there. EPA will also be conducting further analysis of the six squirrels collected from the site during October 2006, one of which contained lead.

For more information about the Ringwood site, go to https://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/ringwood.