New Jersey has accepted a revised settlement over chemical dumping that turned parts of a Jersey Shore community into one of America's most notorious toxic waste cleanup sites, but opponents say the deal is only marginally better than before and plan to sue the state to block it.
The deal adds slightly more protected land and financial compensation for the public over damage to natural resources in and around Toms River, a community that saw its rate of childhood cancer cases increase. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday it finalized the settlement with the German chemical company BASF for decades of dumping by BASF's corporate predecessor, Ciba-Geigy Chemical Corp.
