As the independent, court-appointed site administrator for PPG Industries’ chromium cleanups, Mike McCabe’s duties are listed in the June 2009 judicial consent order in which New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the City of Jersey City and PPG Industries agreed to work together to clean up the company’s 20 chromium sites in Hudson County.

Among his duties, McCabe is required to:

 “Review previous and ongoing health studies concerning the health impacts of chromium in Hudson County and consult with experts in the field and, if necessary, to recommend a protocol for a future medical study (health exposure study), that would monitor the people living within the vicinity of the Garfield Avenue Site to ascertain chromium exposure risks.”

As required by the consent order, he reviewed more than 50 relevant health studies and consulted the top health and science experts in the field.  In May 2010, McCabe issued his recommendation for a Community Health Exposure Prevention and Testing Program and his recommendations have been incorporated into the comprehensive plan designed to protect public health while work is being performed at the Garfield Avenue site.

The recommended program includes three major features:

• A  comprehensive air monitoring program to ensure the protection of the surrounding community during the remediation of the Garfield Avenue Site;

• An accompanying health exposure program to determine whether the community is being exposed to hexavalent chromium related to the site cleanup; and

• A mapping project using results from the residential inspection program established by the settlement to outline areas of soil contamination, if detected.  In addition, the site administrator recommends actions to promote the second phase of the EOHSI household dust study.