He reached out to others on Facebook to see if there were other cases. "Fast forward to August of last year," Lupiano told CBS. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. Reminder: High-Earning Exempt Professionals Must Be Paid a "True Gold Dome Report Legislative Day 24 (2023). Lupiano says that he wants to know if an area like that contaminated Colonia. The city of Woodbridge, NJis conducting an investigationafter more than 100 former students and staff at the local Colonia High School were found to have developed brain tumors over a three-decade period. The situation first came to light after Colonia High School alumnus Al Lupiano identified at least 104 former students and staff who suffered from rare brain tumors and cancer. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Lupiano said he started searching for instances of Colonia High graduates having brain tumors and was stunned to discover 15 people in total, with two newly discovered cases pending further investigation. Strategies for Protecting Standard Essential Patents. Those were the odds Al and Michele Lupiano were told they had drawn. Lupiano notified the community about his research in March, which prompted the township to authorize an emergency contract of more than $200,000 to conduct a radiological assessment of the East Street school and grounds. Colonia High School in Colonia, N.J. in a 2022 file photo. He's one of 19 teachers that have died with brain tumors. Colonia High School: Environmentalists determining possible link between New Jersey school and brain tumors - 6abc Philadelphia tumor Former students wonder if their brain tumors are. Arizona Gets to Keep Its State-Operated Workplace Safety and Health Manufacturers Legal Considerations for Staffing Reductions, PCAOB Enforcement Activity Up Sharply in 2022. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Lupiano said multiple neurologists have been astounded by the tumors found in husband, wife and sister, and they told him the chances of this occurring are "maybe 1 in a billion. The National Law Review - National Law Forum LLC 3 Grant Square #141 Hinsdale, IL 60521 Telephone (708) 357-3317 ortollfree(877)357-3317. His wife is still undergoing treatment. McCormack says that town documents state that the school was built on virgin forest land. He graduated from Colonia High School in 1989. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 03:42 PM EST. A consultant will be testing the grounds at Colonia High School, New Jersey, amid concerns that the school is linked to a high rate of rare brain cancers. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre or email him at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sales in the Gulf of Mexico, Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Litigation Update February 2023. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com. "Unfortunately we all have to be patient while the results are being analyzed because there is no point in doing anything else until we are sure of what the situation is. This story started on March 7 when Lupiano put out a call on his personal Facebook page. He was 52 years old. That is, clusters of cancer can arise by chance, according to the National Cancer Institute. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. Mystery as 100 people associated with . Posted: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. Rob Laumbach of Rutgers School of Public Health says that it is always possible that in any large population of people, there will be instances of tumors and cancers. The situation first came to light after Colonia High School alumnus Al Lupiano identified at least 104 former students and staff who suffered from rare brain tumors and cancer. (TODAY did not independently verify the cases.). Why? Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. But there is no cause and effect relationship between those illnesses and the building or grounds at Colonia High School., LaTourette added: Its our conclusion at the Department of Environmental Protection that the radiological status of this building and the grounds of this high school are consistent with typical background levels of radiation that are found in New Jersey. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Because I dont think its right to say theres no threat to teachers and students if you didnt take a single soil or groundwater sample.. Lupiano's sister died in February at age 44. This now makes three of us in one family with primary brain tumors all on the left side," he wrote. This is terrific news for the current students of Colonial High School and their parents who are worried about their safety along with current staff members. Dr. At the time of the CBS interview in late March, Lupiano claimed to have confirmed 65 cases of rare brain tumors, all affecting people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School. Now, they are urging health officials to look into an apparent link between at least 117 reported brain tumor cases some of them fatal among students, staff and faculty who attended or were employed at Colonia High from the 1970s to 2018. Colonia cancer cluster testers to use spring break week to finish data collection, Environmental firm collects data at Woodbridge school amid cancer cluster concerns, Testing to begin at Colonia HS after man discovers possible evidence of cancer cluster. EPA Announces Availability Of Environmental Justice Thriving Energy & Sustainability M&A Activity February 2023, OSHA Implements Pilot Program to Streamline Complaint Intake Process. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure.". "It's fascinating because that signs been there for years and no one said, Hey, wait a minute. ADVANCED! A representative from the health department did not respond to that request. The rates are actually consistent in New Jersey with the United States, McGreevy said. One hundred out of 15,000 have brain cancersure sounds like something we should be concerned about, McCormick reported when asked by local reporters. Woodbridge mayor John E. McCormac, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and superintendent Joseph Massimino joined LaTourette in announcing the probes findings Thursday in a press conference closed to parents and community members. utah778/Getty Work began on . My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. McCormac said the financial support is greatly appreciated, and it gives the township confidence it can keep moving ahead without burdening taxpayers. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisKelly74 or email him at ckelly@njadvancemedia.com. Matthew Stanmyre is a sports enterprise, projects and investigative reporter for NJ Advance Media. 2023 FOX Television Stations, 100 people diagnosed with rare cancers to the high school, Wreckage of US Navy submarine from World War II found off Japans coast, From Florida to Hawaii: Worlds best beaches for 2023 revealed by Tripadvisor, White House gives federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all government devices, Study: Zero-calorie sweetener associated with high risk of heart failure, stroke and death, Elon Musk back in No. It's not something in soil," he told CBS. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". Dozens of former teachers and. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK. The onset of brain tumors in more than one hundred people who attended or worked at Colonia High School in New Jersey has continued to baffle experts. Its definitely not enough, she said. In the video, which has been viewed over three million times, Whittington speculated that the alumni have developed glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor that invades the nearby brain tissue, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. Colonia High School is rich with tradition since its first graduating class. We requested that the agencies move quickly to conduct any necessary research," he said. His practice also includes the representation of litigants in professional liability claims including those involving medical negligence. We do not believe that there is cause for any further testing, and that the children of this school, the faculty of this school and the parents of these children can have confidence that this is a safe place.. Colonia High School (Woodbridge school district) WOODBRIDGE, NJ The radon testing at Colonia High School will conclude Saturday, April 30 and Woodbridge expects to get the results. No one knows why. We still need environmental research to see if there is evidence for concern. Lupiano said he is specifically looking for anyone who graduated from or attend Colonia High School from approximately 1975 to 1995. So far, the experts have provided the community with important scientific consultation, but I still have not seen enough action," Pallone said in a statement Thursday. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School . The environmental engineering firm T+M Associates was contracted by Woodbridge Township after growing concerns about a possible link between the Central New Jersey school and brain cancer. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. It's my generation," McCormack says. Challenges to the No Surprises Act Continue: The Latest includes a Navigating Permissive State Laws in Light of the Federal Information FDA Publishes List of 2023 Priority Guidance Topics. Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. He no longer lives in Woodbridge but he said he was looking for any and all Colonia High School alumni to come forward. Pictured, a stock image of a brain scan. State health officials say that they plan to work with the federal government to find out the cause of a possible cancer cluster linked to Colonia High School. Mar 30, 2022 The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain. Im really starting to get frustrated, he says. When a former student at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, realized that he, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors, he wondered if something about their high school could have caused them. North Hunterdon High School is a four-year regional public high school serving students from six municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, as one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District.Students in the high school hail from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union . Lupiano has worked for 30 years in environmental science. "When my wife and my sister were diagnosed the very same day, with a brain tumor in August of 2021, it took me a few days but that's when I knew something was wrong," Lupiano said. The probe was the result of concerns about a possible brain tumor cluster linked to graduates and staff from Colonia High, a school of about 1,300 students in Middlesex County. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. Earlier this spring, Al Lupiano, a 1974 graduate, discovered 122 people with ties to the school who have had a primary brain tumor and an additional 75 with other rare forms of cancer. Advertisement. US Executive Branch Update February 27, 2023. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Jerseys Department of Environmental Protection have expressed concern, both have decided to wait for the results of these tests before taking further action. Image: Unsplash. An environmental assessment of all 28 acres in and around Colonia High School found no traces of radiological contaminants and the school has been deemed safe for students and staff, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and other officials announced Thursday. Pallone said he asked the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to show its commitment to the community and its concerns by reimbursing Woodbridge for the cost of the environmental studies and by taking over any subsequent tests if they are necessary in the future. "I will not rest until I have answers. IE 11 is not supported. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He said that's the reason the state has a cancer registryand epidemiologists. Lupiano shared that three weeks ago, his sister "suddenly and very tragically" died due to a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor (glioblastoma multiforme). Former Colonia High School student Al Lupiano first decided to investigate when both his wife and his sister were diagnosed with brain tumors, two decades after he himself had suffered from. The township announced results of an investigation. Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg, attended Colonia High School together and both have rare brain tumors. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. A mystery in Colonia. Its one of those public health issues that is often overlooked because its natural, he says. It's not contaminated water. 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