Today’s announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to add the Historic Potteries site in Trenton’s North Ward to the National Priorities List marks a significant step toward a cleaner, safer, and healthier future for our city.

Trenton’s legacy as a center of pottery manufacturing brought both cultural and economic vitality to our city—but it also left behind a dangerous legacy of lead contamination, particularly in the soil of our East Trenton neighborhoods, now part of the North Ward. Elevated levels of lead were found at over 200 residential properties, as well as in two city parks and on school grounds.

Rather than delay action or ignore the problem, our City’s Department of Health proactively partnered with the EPA, holding multiple public forums, offering voluntary testing for homes and children, and ensuring that residents were informed and engaged throughout the process. Remediation work has already been completed at the two affected parks and the school grounds, and our joint efforts have helped identify and begin addressing other impacted areas.

We know the dangers of lead exposure are serious and long-lasting—especially for children, who are most vulnerable to its impacts on health, behavior, and learning. That’s why we welcome the EPA’s commitment to long-term remediation through the Superfund program. With federal support, we can accelerate cleanup efforts, pursue accountability from responsible parties, and bring meaningful revitalization to our neighborhoods.

On behalf of the City of Trenton, I want to thank the dedicated teams at the EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for their partnership. We look forward to continuing our work together to ensure every family in Trenton—especially in our North Ward—can live, learn, and play in a safe and healthy environment.

W. Reed Gusciora

Mayor, City of Trenton

The post Statement from Mayor W. Reed Gusciora on EPA’s Addition of Trenton’s Historic Potteries Site to the Superfund National Priorities List first appeared on TrentonDaily.