Garfield residents concerned about high levels of chromium in neighborhood

GARFIELD, N.J. (WABC) -- There are growing health concerns in one neighborhood in New Jersey, after new levels reveal just how deep a contamination has grown.

Hundreds of Garfield residents have known for years there have been issues in their community, and now they're learning just how elevated the levels of chromium are.

There are some 600 homes that are potentially impacted by the plume of contamination from a chemical spill which happened 30 years ago.

The area of the spill, now a Superfund site, was once the home of E.C. Electro-Plating, where three tons of cancer-causing hexavalent chromium was seeping into the ground.

Now it's in the groundwater, leaving homeowners concerned about the future.

"It makes me nervous for my future, yes. I come from a longevity kind of family and I wonder how it's going to affect my life," said Liz Werling.

She took part in a study conducted by NYU which linked the chromium directly to the residents. Her results show she did have the chemical in her body, but not at high enough levels to pose a health risk.

"Some parts of my basement are dirt floors and there's a wine cellar and I have a sub-basement. And there's a little trace of chromium in it, in the basement beneath the basement," said Werling.

But in the 16 years she has lived here, Werling lost two of her favorite pets, Bridgette and Boomer, who enjoyed being in the basement close to contaminated soil.

Both died in midlife of cancer, and Liz still wonders if the high chromium levels were to blame.

"Both of those dogs used to go in the basement, they'd follow me. And I have a chocolate Lab right now who would follow me to the ends of the earth, and she won't follow me down the stairs," Werling said.

Officials say there has been no evidence linking higher cancer levels to humans in the area. Still, the NYU survey was done so there would be an independent study of the contamination plume.

"But it's still dangerous, it needs to be cleaned up. People are not going to be safe until it's absolutely cleaned up or converted," said Garfield City Manager Thomas Duch.

A number of homeowners say the value of their homes are next to nothing because of the problem.

The Superfund has about two more years of money left in it, and the city is hoping investigators can find a solution during those two years.