Brief Summary on Toms River

Posted: August 26th, 2021

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Brief Summary on Toms River

Part I:

The book points out the study of cancer as a significant threatening that results from either the genetically predisposed causes or chemically triggered elements. In this case, an officer at the EPA is concerned that the Toms River might be associated with sudden increasesin cancer cases in New Jersey. Therefore, he (Steve Jones) decides to take necessary investigative measures. With the need to establish a possible connection between the number of childhood cancer cases and the toxic substances in Toms River, Jones posted an inquiry to the New Jersey State Department of Health (Toms River). Through its Investigation Officer Michael Berry, the health department did not carry out any investigation, citing that the study on cancer clusters was a waste of resources.

Further, the book discusses the mismanagement of hazardous wastes in the natural water resources. It also delves into how they might have amplified the cases of chemically triggered instances of cancer. Chapter 16 provides a systemic kind of revelation. It reveals that Ciba-Geigy Company had been discharging its effluents into Toms River before the State Department of Health noticed and compelled the company to pay hefty fines (Toms River). The executive management of Ciba-Geigy approved the payment in addition to constant apologies to the public besides claims that no person was yet affected by the toxic substances. However, Berry was still connecting the dots to substantiate the increased childhood cases of cancer and the toxic substances in the state disease registry.  Following a complete closure of the said ocean pipeline, the company again was found guilty of unlawful practices of managing their wastes. Now, they connected their effluents to the county sewerage system that deliberately emptied into the nearby ocean. Instead, hence, the public was not aware of the actions

The book further reveals the negligence among most public health officers. Most of the public officers and the relevant private individuals had sufficient information regarding a large portion of the contaminated underground of about 400 feet wide and 150 feet deep (Toms River). Instead, the relevant departments in charge of the environment and public waste management chose to ignore just deliberately. Even though information regarding the contaminated United Water of Toms River was aired on the Star-Ledger with Ciba-Geigy as a significant cause, the newspaper company chose to avoid the story of Reich Farm. After the findings of aradioactive substance in groundwater covering a vast region of New Jersey, the NEP still was reluctant to accept its need to establish the exactness of the particular type of radioactive material (Toms River). Instead, they termed the test investigation as time and money wasting.

Part II:

Toms River Water Company was not concerned with testing the water, even after a public confession announcement by Ciba-Geigy that it was discharging its effluents in the river. It is a scenario that the engineering management team violates the Codes of Ethics directly. For example, their actions were inconsistent with all three principles. Firstly, they did not respect the 1^stFundamental Cannon that requires them to hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Secondly, they did not conduct themselves in line with the Rules of Practice 1A that required them to report to the higher authority in case they felt that their judgment wasoverridden under any circumstances.Thirdly, the water company violated the Professional Obligations 1A by not acknowledging all the errors and thus altering or distorting the facts. Otherwise, I view that the Toms River Water Company should have immediately conducted tests on the water to establish the magnitude impact of the effluents. More so, they should have reported to the County Authority to facilitate them with the services of the EPA Investigations to establish the degree to which the radioactive components could affect the health and safety of the population of New Jersey.

Work Cited

Toms River. Section 3: Chapters 14-19 Summary, p. 1-22.