WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New Jersey Department of Health so. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato a longtime football coach and athletic director. Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . More than 100 people from the same high school have been diagnosed with brain cancer and it is feared soil contaminated with uranium used in the first atomic bomb made them ill. In total, he collected the names of 94 former students and staff who have developed brain tumors, according to the New York Post. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. The New York City Council Sets its Sights on Non-Profit Housing DOJ Announces New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy for U.S. Attorney Supreme Court: Salary, Not Daily Pay, Required for FLSA Overtime Time Is Money: A Quick Wage-Hour Tip on the Tip Credit, EDPB issues its Opinion on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, Hunton Andrews Kurths Privacy and Cybersecurity. TODAY reached out to Lupiano for comment on the press conference but did not hear back. 3 min read. : Advanced Marketing Compels Trial on Arbitration in a TCPA Health Plans Gag Clause Attestations Due December 31, 2023. Woodbridge is working with the Board of Education, various state and federal agencies and Lupiano to evaluate data he has collected on individuals with various forms of brain cancer and brain tumors from about 1975-1995 who attended or worked in Colonia High School. Approximately 1,365 students now attend Colonia High School, one of three high schools in Woodbridge Township. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. While McCormac said it's too early to say if the state or federal government is investigating, he did say he expects that the ground and soil around Colonia High School will be tested, along with the air inside the high school building. My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. The choice of a lawyer or other professional is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Pictured, a stock image of a brain scan. Colonia High School is rich with tradition since its first graduating class. 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. All of them graduated from. Those results are expected in late May. Although no specific cause has yet been determined, the discovery set off alarm bells for the school district and local government officials. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Multiple Concussions Result in Greater Cognitive Deficits, DOL Issues Internal Guidance on Telework Under the FLSA & FMLA, USPTO Launches Cancer Moonshot Expedited Examination Pilot Program. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com. McCormac said he's assured any parents that have contacted his office that the township has no evidence of any problems with the school building or the grounds. 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. "We have requested that the agencies move quickly to conduct any necessary research and verification of data so we can efficiently coordinate and facilitate any actions that will assist in the evaluation of the information and implementation of any environmental impact studies," McCormac and Massimino said in a joint statement about health concerns potentially connected to Colonia High School. ", "We are taking this incredibly seriously," McCormac told Patch. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Woodbridge Township contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CDC, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (which is part of CDC), and the state Department of Health last week, and we've begun initial discussions with them.". Earlier this year, 1989 Colonia High School graduate Al Lupiano developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school from the 1970s to 1990s. No Radioactivity Found at N.J. High School After 94 People Developed Brain Tumors, Study Shows, What to Know About the Ohio Train Derailment and Chemical Spill: A Timeline of Events, Parents Raise $3 Million to Save Their Kids' Lives from Fatal Form of Dwarfism: 'We'd Do Anything', Woman, 29, Charged After Posing as High School Student For 4 Days Before Getting Caught, Officials Say, Who Is Matthew Stafford's Wife? A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. In concert with the Township Department of Health, we initiated contact with various federal, state, county, and local health and environmental agencies. He graduated from Colonia High School in 1989. The National Law Review is not a law firm nor is www.NatLawReview.com intended to be a referral service for attorneys and/or other professionals. 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. "For most cancers, and that would include brain cancers for example, in most cases we dont know what the cause was," Laumbach says. The family lives close enough to see it. Preliminary results from the emergency studies could take a month or more to come back. The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. He wasn't the only one in his family that had a similar issue. 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. Jeff Krawitz is a Shareholder and member of Stark & Starks Accident & Personal Injury Group and concentrates his practice in casualty litigation focusing on complex injury, coverage issues and bad faith claims. It may be several weeks before test results are available, and if no evidence of radiation is discovered, further tests may be necessary to look for other possible causes. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. Lupiano, his wife and his sister are among those affected. Most of the people impacted attended the school between the early 1970s and 2000. "It doesn't rule out there isn't some cause, it's just means that we have to be careful that we're not drawing lines around areas of locations and times when theres randomly an increase in incidents of cancer," he says. 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. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of Woodbridge Township School District, said officials are awaiting details on next steps from environmental agencies, while Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac has contacted the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, the Mayor's Office of Communications for the Township of Woodbridge confirmed to PEOPLE Friday. IE 11 is not supported. Now on Thursday, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said the town is investigating, and McCormac said he personally finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate. Our children and Colonia High School staff deserve more involvement of the State and Federal agencies. Cancer clusters are difficult to prove because cancer is a relatively common disease, (and) cases of cancer can appear to cluster even when there is no connection among them. IT'S HAPPENING! Children from both Colonia Middle School and Avenel Middle School feed into Colonia High School. Testing is expected to end this week and then it will be about a month before the results come back. Vanessa Etienne is an Emerging Content Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. Will Changes to the Option To Tax Regime Impact UK Insolvency Sales? Al Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns of a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School. A spokesperson directed News 12 to the state Department of Health. 2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. 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. It just frustrates me and angers me.. He said that's the reason the state has a cancer registryand epidemiologists. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student who. "What I find alarming is there's truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and that's ionizing radiation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Students have all still been attending Colonia High School while the story has circulated. Whittington a board-certified MD in California claimed several of the brain tumors developed by ex-Colonia High staff and students are glioblastoma multiforme an aggressive cancer. We sympathize with anyone who has experienced brain tumors and brain cancers, especially those who lost loved ones to this terrible disease, McCormac said. 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. It's due to concerns tied to graduates or staff members with brain tumors. "We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac said Thursday afternoon. This story has been hitting news channels all over the state, from CBS to NJ 101.5. His sister died in February at 44. One hundred out of 15,000 have brain cancersure sounds like something we should be concerned about, McCormick reported when asked by local reporters. He says that more testing is needed, including air, soil and water samples. They were also looking for radon and radiation levels inside the school - all of which could lead to genetic mutations that could cause rare cancers. The questions raised by local advocates and families require serious scrutiny from health and environmental experts, which is exactly why I personally convened state and federal agencies on April 4 and asked them to investigate these serious concerns. Radiological testing has begun at Colonia High School and will continue through May; more than 100 former staff and students have been diagnosed with brain tumors - centraljersey.com. "Fast forward to August of last year," Lupiano told CBS. Colonia Park Mall in court over $200,000 in bills Reminder: High-Earning Exempt Professionals Must Be Paid a "True Gold Dome Report Legislative Day 24 (2023). Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app! He no longer lives in Woodbridge but he said he was looking for any and all Colonia High School alumni to come forward. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. Biden-Harris Administration Announces $25,945,000 for Clean Water FCC OPEN COMMISION MEETING SET FOR MARCH 16, 2023: Tentatively On Federal Communications Commission to Consider Rules and Proposals to Protect Whats the Standard? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Dozens of former teachers and. Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain tumors diagnosed in 108 people over a period of three decades, ending in the early 2000s. Its definitely not enough, she said. Federal Communications Commission to Consider Rules and Proposals to Whats the Standard? He is keeping a list. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 03:42 PM EST. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. McCormac was joined by Joseph Massimino, superintendent of Woodbridge schools, Shawn LaTourette, New Jerseys commissioner of environmental protection, Judith Persichilli, commissioner of New Jerseys department of health, and Kate McGreevy, an epidemiologist from the New Jersey Department of Health. Statement from the Woodbridge superintendent of schools. "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found 65 is staggering. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Department Of Justice Introduces Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy For All U.S. Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies State Law Standards for Severe or Pervasive Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. Environmentalists have also placed canisters throughout the school to collect air samples for testing. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., praised McCormac's decision to push ahead with a township-financed environmental review. An environmental scientist, Lupiano determined the common link between the three was that all attended the same high school. US Executive Branch Update February 27, 2023. Attorney Advertising Notice: Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. No one knows why. The testing started on April 9. If there were some new information to materialize we would investigate it further, LaTourette said. Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. This approach of calculating the expected number was done to provide context to the community., McCormac added that calling it a cancer cluster was wrong. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define a cancer cluster as "a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time.". McCormac said the financial support is greatly appreciated, and it gives the township confidence it can keep moving ahead without burdening taxpayers. Find NJ.com on Facebook. California Assembly Bill Pushes for Womens Designated Restrooms on Mississippi Legislature Takes Up Pass-Through Entity Election FTC Signals Increased Scrutiny of Technology Sector Through Understanding the Corporate Transparency Act and Ensuring Compliance. Rohit Ranjan. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). In fact, it is at the lower end of those background levels of radioactive materials.. Any legal analysis, legislative updates or other content and links should not be construed as legal or professional advice or a substitute for such advice. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. Paxtang Elementary School America250 Toggle header content. After doing some research, Al Lupiano told TODAY that he discovered 107 former students and teachers with brain tumors. "I will not rest until I have answers. As tens of thousands of students and hundreds of staff have attended and worked at Colonia High School, and 1,300 students currently attend school there, it is urgent to understand the cause of this elevated occurrence of brain tumors. Get great local news about YOUR town and state. Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac learned about Lupianos efforts, he reached to him and the township subsequently hired an environmental engineering firm to investigate possible contaminants at the school that could contribute to development of brain tumors. Whoever started calling this a cancer cluster, to use that phrase, it was ill informed, McCormac said. 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. I dont know about you but Im not giving up so easy with or without the help of others, the truth will be uncovered.. | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters. NLR does not answer legal questions nor will we refer you to an attorney or other professional if you request such information from us. Casey returns to the Senate after cancer surgery 11 hours ago . 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. Strategies for Protecting Standard Essential Department Of Justice Introduces Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy For Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies State Law Standards for Severe or Gold Dome Report Legislative Day 25 (2023). Colonia High School in Colonia, N.J. in a 2022 file photo. Lupiano reported his findings to Colonia High School, which was built in 1967, and he is now working with local officials to identify the root cause. It's not something in soil," he told CBS. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is. Our journalism needs your support. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. Statement in compliance with Texas Rules of Professional Conduct. Laumbach also says that there could be natural sources for radiation and radon near the school. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormack and the town council ordered tests be conducted at the school, which was constructed in 1967. In a mysterious story, a man from New Jersey named Al Lupiano found out that 100 people with uncommon cancers were linked to Woodbridge Township School District, Colonia High School. Meghan Holohan is a contributing writer who covers health and parenting for TODAY.com. That is, clusters of cancer can arise by chance, according to the National Cancer Institute. Dating back decades, newly detailed reports of more than 100 cases of brain tumors among former students and staff at Colonia High School in Woodbridge have raised obvious concerns. Follow her on Twitter to see her recent stories. 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. This story started on March 7 when Lupiano put out a call on his personal Facebook page. A mystery in Colonia. "If there is something there, the sooner you know, the better because you can react quick and take any steps you have to take right away," McCormack said.". Dorseys son goes to the high school. Performance Rule Requires Disclosure of Relationship Tech Takeaways: SCOTUS Weighs in on Pivotal Tech Cases. Published on Apr 08, 2022. I still dont know what Im going to do with my kids, Komorek said. A rock was found in the school a rock that should not have been there. He reached out to others on Facebook to see if there were other cases. National Law Review, Volume XII, Number 112, Public Services, Infrastructure, Transportation. The town also said in its statement that a radiological and environmental remediation company has been contracted to begin collecting data at the school. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. If you would ike to contact us via email please click here. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. utah778/Getty Work began on . He has won 19 national writing awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors in the largest circulation category, including four overall first-place finishes. A representative from the health department did not respond to that request. A man, his wife and his sister all Colonia High grads diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. Recent FTC Enforcement Action Merits Cyber Insurance Coverage Review, Two Ways to Redefine & Achieve CRM Success. 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. Its one of those public health issues that is often overlooked because its natural, he says. The victims all went to Colonia High School in Woodbridge in New Jersey They all developed the 'rare' glioblastoma years after studying or working there The link was only spotted when one. COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. The NLR does not wish, nor does it intend, to solicit the business of anyone or to refer anyone to an attorney or other professional. I know we have rocks similar to that at the Middlesex Sampling Plant, Lupiano says. 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. Since his March 7 Facebook post, Lupiano said he now has 65 cases connected to Colonia High School that he deems credible. His wife is still undergoing treatment. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. Strictly Confidential? 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. 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. "It's fascinating because that signs been there for years and no one said, Hey, wait a minute. Some states have laws and ethical rules regarding solicitation and advertisement practices by attorneys and/or other professionals. Nearly 100 Former Students and Staff From Colonia High School Develop Brain Tumors Murphy: We absolutely have concern about potential Colonia High School cancer cluster, Colonia cancer cluster testers to use spring break week to finish data collection. Woodbridge's congressman, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ6), has also been made aware, the mayor said. The man proposing the theory is Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist who grew up in Woodbridge Township. "It hits me. Lupiano graduated from Colonia High in 1989; his three siblings graduated in 91, 95 and 98, and his wife was in the class of 91. While right now the focus has been on radiation, once the data is analyzed there may be other areas to explore, the mayor said. Im really starting to get frustrated, he says. 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