THE GREEN RABBIT BEGINNING
The Chemical Insecticide Corporation Superfund Site was the first major issue that the Edison Wetlands Association undertook. Its bankrupt owners had abandoned the CIC site. Virtually no cleanup activities had or were taking place, and additionally, off-site contamination was more than visible on nearby properties and in an adjacent stream. EWA’s director Robert Spiegel was asked to look at a site where “green rabbits” lived.
Indeed, the Chemical Insecticide Corporation Superfund Site was so toxic that chemicals had begun to turn to fur on rabbits a very unnatural shade of green. Green and yellow ooze was observed on and off-site as well. Several local residents had developed health problems- cancers and diseases, with a suspected link to the nearby contamination. When contacted regarding the contamination, the U.S. EPA merely posted signs warning of the hazardous waste site.