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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I learned the toxic truth about my idyllic childhood camp... are your children at risk too?
On my wall hangs a photo of a seven-year-old me in a small yellow sailboat with my father beside me, holding lines while I steered the boat. It was the start of many years of sailing on the Toms River and Barnegat Bay in New Jersey, where I spent summers in an idyllic small town surrounded by family. As a child, I didn't question the absence of fish, the scum lining the shore or its faint foul odor. For eight years, I swam in a river that had once been a toxic dumping ground for a plant owned at the time by Ciba-Geigy, a chemical company that churned out dyes, plastics, and adhesives seven miles northwest. The toxic waste from Ciba-Geigy's plant was later linked by state health officials to a cluster of childhood cancers - over 100 cases in around 15 years - just a few miles from my grandparents' house. A flood of toxins seeped into the area's groundwater and sickened hundreds of children. State health data has since shown that, for decades, every glass of water filled in Toms River carried trace amounts of toxic chemicals. Not many people were aware of the dumping. According to my dad, who grew up in a small town next to Toms River, 'We didn't know anything about it until it came out later with the cancer cluster. 'I remember when it was just rumors and everyone was like it couldn't be, everyone loves Ciba-Geigy.' When Ciba-Geigy opened in 1952, it revived Toms River's economy with hundreds of jobs. A long-time Toms River resident, Summer Bardia, told her Uncle Ed, who worked at Ciba-Geigy for 10 years, 'would come home and he'd sweat out the different colors that he was working with that day.' 'My Uncle Ed knew something was wrong, as did his co-workers at the plant,' Bardia said. 'He took his clothes off and got into the shower as soon as he got home from work.' Ed developed rare bladder cancer, brain tumors, and dementia. While she can't prove it, Bardia said the connection between her uncle's workplace exposure and his diseases seems undeniable. Dye production uses several cancer-linked chemicals, and EPA investigations found the company's runoff contained suspected or known carcinogens like benzene, chromium, lead, arsenic and mercury. It also uses tetrachloroethene (PCE), which has been shown to double bladder cancer risk and raise risk of nervous system cancers, and trichloroethene (TCE), which raises leukemia risk two to five times. For decades, the company dumped toxic wastewater into unlined pits, allowing carcinogens linked to bladder, brain, and kidney cancers and leukemia, to leach into the groundwater and flow into Toms River. Under pressure from outraged residents of Ocean County, Ciba-Geigy stopped dumping waste in lagoons, instead pumping it 10 miles offshore, until a 1984 pipe rupture spewed black sludge. By the mid-1970s, the town saw a disturbing spike in childhood cancers. Before merging into Toms River, Dover Township recorded 90 childhood cancer cases over 17 years—far above the 67 expected. Leukemia in young girls stood out, with seven cases instead of the expected 2.7. In Toms River, 24 cases were recorded where just 14 were expected, including 10 in young girls, most of which were brain cancer and leukemia. The toll was worst among preschool girls. Brain cancers were at least 10 times the normal rates and leukemia rates were eight times the national baseline for girls that age. Scientists confirmed these weren't random flukes. The data matched patterns near other toxic waste sites around the US. The Ciba-Geigy campus was designated a Superfund site in 1983. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried for the kids in towns along the river beginning their sailing programs every summer and the older long-time residents who still love to sail. I would also be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit of trepidation when I turn on the faucet at my grandparents' house, where the water has a slightly odd smell. I ask myself now if it's due to old metal pipes or a remnant of corporate wrongdoing. The plant shut down all operations in 1996. The chemical company BASF acquired it in 2009, inheriting all clean up responsibility. The EPA oversight has shrunk Toms River's toxic plume, but full cleanup is years away. Alec Boss, communications and outreach coordinator for the activist group Save Barnegat Bay, called cleanup efforts 'woefully inadequate.' Contaminated groundwater is being pumped out, treated, and discharged back into the ground. Boss told 'Imagine that you come up to a pond filled with this horrible pond scum and nasty bacteria, you get a cup of this dirty pond water and one of those iodine tablets that you would take if you were going camping, and you put that in that cup and you clean up that water, and then you just dump that back into the pond. 'That's essentially what they're doing.' Diane Salkie, EPA's remedial project manager for the site, told members in a webinar that 'we've probably gone down about 40 percent, maybe there's about 60 percent [of the toxic plume] remaining, but that's very ballpark.' However, the ocean is much cleaner now, Bardia said. 'I love jumping in those ocean waves. I love bringing my family and friends and showing them how clean the ocean is now, looking at all the dolphins and the whales and the rays.' The river is cleaner, too. I've noticed when I go back to Island Heights it's bluer and I no longer see foam at the shoreline. Ocean County still suffers high cancer rates, with 524 cases per 100,000 compared to the state average of 474 per 100,000. The national rate is still lower at about 444 cases per 100,000. A statement from BASF said: 'We want to be clear that a significant amount of work has been done over the past 30 years, and the US EPA has determined that the site currently poses no risk to human health and the environment. 'BASF will continue to work with the US EPA and NJDEP until all federal and state requirements are met. While US EPA has stated that full remediation of the groundwater plume may take several more years, this is typical of larger groundwater cleanup efforts.' But the EPA-supervised cleanup only treats the former plant site, not the broader community's toxic burden. Bardia said: 'What about the rest of Toms River? What about the area around the pipeline? What about all those backyards with all that soot that landed on people's homes and yards? 'I don't want to scare people away, but I want them to know that this fight is still going on.'
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Creator of leading dhoti brand shares business tips for success
'A good intention with a flexible business plan over a fixed business model focused on profit would pave way for the creation of a successful organisation,' according to K.R. Nagarajan, founder and chairman of Ramraj Cotton. Speaking on Founder's Day of Thiagarajar College of Engineering here on Tuesday, he said his primary business capital was the desire to transform the lives of thousands of weavers who made dhotis in his region. From being a student, who could not afford ₹15 for a typewriting coaching class and ending up as a school dropout at XI grade, the journey to become one of the leading dhoti manufacturers in the country was not built on a bed of roses, recalled Mr. Nagarajan. As he embarked on his journey after a stint as a salesperson in a dhoti shop in Tiruppur, the ensuing years upturned his life as the market for dhoti experienced the worst fall after people moved towards western attires, 'My days as a salesperson exposed me to the plight of weavers who made the dhoti we sold. They would visit the shops from their villages in bare bodies to get their wages,' he said. He did not realise then that the sight would later transform his life into a leading businessperson. 'Following the decline of market for dhotis, the shops dependent on them were shut and I too was kicked out.' But he made up his mind to work for and with the weavers to uplift them from their poverty. The journey that began there became a leading enterprise and a cultural identity of the State, he added. Speaking on the significance of Madurai in the country's freedom struggle, he said it was here that the attire of Mahatma Gandhi underwent a transformation and became his celebrated identity. 'Gandhiji, after seeing the backwardness of the people and their struggle to wear a single piece of cloth renounced his sophisticated costume and began to wear a simple loin cloth.' Also, it was in Madurai that the blood-stained dhoti he wore at the time of his assassination was kept, he added. Nambi Narayanan, space scientist and TCE alumnus, inaugurated the college's space club collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation to develop and deploy 1U (unit) cubesat under the mission titled Boomitharan. Speaking at the event, he wondered if the current generation's docile attitude should be appreciated or criticised. He asked the students to be more interactive and bold to raise questions, even though they might seem naive. Also, he advised students working on space projects to set a target based on the timeline fixed for rocket launches. 'Working towards the deadline would help come up with satellites to be good enough to use them in ISRO projects. With the latest available technologies and sophisticated equipment, it is not a great deal to complete a satellite in a year,' he added. Though slighter modifications and developments might be required, they could be carried out with a team or senior scientists. Recalling his days in the college, he said due to his efforts as union secretary, it became the first institution to host then Chief Minister K. Kamaraj. K. Hari Thiagarajan, chairman and correspondent, said the magnanimous contribution of the college alumni association would help underprivileged students to begin and continue their academic journey. Around ₹1 crore was donated by the alumni, which would benefit 241 students. College principal Ashok Kumar, senior faculty, alumni association members and others participated.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
First subject dosed in Phase I trial of Vir Biotechnology's VIR-5525
Vir Biotechnology has dosed the first subject in the non-randomised Phase I trial to assess VIR-5525, the investigational dual-masked T-cell engager (TCE) that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This trial marks a step in developing treatments for various solid tumours expressing EGFR with high unmet medical needs, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). It is designed as the first-in-human open-label trial and will explore VIR-5525's pharmacokinetics, preliminary anti-tumour activity, and safety as a single agent and in conjunction with pembrolizumab. VIR-5525 utilises the PRO-XTEN masking technology, which aims to selectively activate TCEs within the tumour microenvironment, potentially decreasing toxicity to healthy cells. Vir Biotechnology CEO Marianne De Backer said: 'We are excited to bring our third PRO-XTEN dual-masked T-cell engager VIR-5525 to the clinic as we further our mission of transforming the lives of people living with hard-to-treat solid tumours. 'This achievement is a testament to Vir Biotechnology's commitment to advancing innovative therapies that address substantial unmet needs in oncology.' The latest announcement has triggered a $75m milestone payment to Vir as part of its exclusive global licence agreement signed with Sanofi last year for the PRO-XTEN platform and clinical-stage TCEs. Since the closing of the transaction, this expected milestone payment has been held as restricted cash and was not counted in the company's $1.02bn in cash, cash equivalents, and investments as of 31 March 2025. This payment is set to be identified as a research and development expense in the third quarter of this year. The company is also progressing with dose escalation for its other dual-masked TCEs, VIR-5818 and VIR-5500, targeting HER2-expressing solid tumours and PSMA in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, respectively. In March 2025, Vir Biotechnology enrolled the first subject in the Phase III ECLIPSE registrational programme of tobevibart and elebsiran in those with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD). "First subject dosed in Phase I trial of Vir Biotechnology's VIR-5525" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bombay High Court criticises CBI over privacy breach in ₹800 crore scam probe, grants relief to TCE
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) stayed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) in connection with an alleged ₹800 crore scam linked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority's (JNPA) capital dredging project, citing procedural lapses during the agency's investigation. A Division Bench of Justice A.S. Gadkari and Justice Rajesh Patil passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by TCE seeking quashing of a first information report (FIR) lodged on June 18. The FIR named former JNPA chief manager Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, TCE director Devdutt Bose, Boskalis Smit India LLP, Mumbai, and Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt. Ltd, Chennai and other officials and firms involved in the project. 'It was alleged that during the maintenance of dredged channels in Phase-I of the project, JNPA made excess payments aggregating to ₹365.9 crore to the contractors against claims raised for over-dredging of channels. However, in Phase-Il of the project, which overlapped with the maintenance period of Phase-I, JNPT [Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust] made an additional excess payment of ₹438 crore to the contractor, showing that no over-dredging was done in Phase-l or maintenance period thereof,' the CBI's statement read. These alleged losses were based on over-dredging claims and falsified hydrographic data. The FIR invokes sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. TCE, which was appointed as the project management consultant in 2003, submitted the final project report for Phase I in 2010. Its responsibilities included preparation of tender documents and supervision of project execution. Searches were conducted at the residential premises of officers of JNPA, TCE and offices of accused private companies at five different locations in Mumbai and Chennai which led the investigating team to the recovery of several documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices and documents showing investments made by public servants. Senior Advocate Amit Desai, appearing for TCE, argued that the company's role was limited to consultancy and that it had no part in contractual or financial decisions. He also contended that there was no material evidence linking the firm to the alleged fraud. The Court noted that the memo disclosed the password of a laptop belonging to Devdutt Bose, which, the Bench said, constituted a serious violation of privacy and the Information Technology Act. 'How can you publish the password of someone? This is contrary to the basis of the IT Act. You have caused damage to someone. You (CBI) cannot publish someone else's password in public. This is a very sensitive matter. This involves tampering. This in itself is mandatory grounds for discharge,' the Bench observed. The Bench also raised concerns about whether the disclosure was made with malicious intent, potentially benefiting competitors. The Court has directed the CBI to clarify key aspects of the FIR, including the source of the complaint and whether the matter had previously been examined by the Attorney General for India or the JNPT Board of Trustees, as claimed by the petitioner. The case is scheduled to be heard again after two weeks.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Eco park project at Thanjavur dump gains momentum
THANJAVUR: The establishment of an eco park after bio-capping the accumulated solid waste in the dump yard in Thanjavur under the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS 2.0) programme gathered momentum following the recent visit of a team of experts deputed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). 'A team from Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCE), which has been entrusted with preparing the master plan for the projects promoting a circular economy -- with focus on integrated waste management -- in all the 18 cities selected under CITIIS 2.0, visited Thanjavur last week and held consultations,' an official told TNIE. The officials added that component plans, including bio-capping of the more than 2 lakh cubic metres of legacy solid waste accumulated in the compost yard (garbage dump) of the corporation at Chekkadi, establishing a waste processing facility (WPF) to process non-gradable waste, and the installation of a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) unit that would make the combustible components of the waste into fuel, are ready. TCE might give their suggestions which will also be integrated into the plans. After this, the Union ministry will give the nod and eventually release funds, officials added. When contacted Mayor S Ramanathan said once the MoHUA gives its nod, detailed projects reports (DPRs) will be prepared and further steps will be taken to implement the project. It may be noted that Thanjavur is one of the 18 cities in the country selected through a competitive process for implementation of CITIIS 2.0. Under the programme, the Thanjavur corporation will receive a grant of Rs 135 crore for waste management and climate action. Besides the grant, another Rs 30 crore in funds is expected from other avenues, including the state government.
