The storm surge and flooding that washed over much of the tri-state during Hurricane Sandy spread industrial toxic contaminants to residential areas miles away. The floodwaters carried an unthinkable mixture of wastewater, sludge, and toxins into people’s basements and pristine yards, and the pollutants remain today.

“The water from Hurricane Sandy was quite different than other storms,” said Robert Weitz, a certified microbial investigator and founder of RTK Environmental Group. “As we test people’s homes and soil, we are finding that the water from Superstorm Sandy contained a toxic sludge,” he explained. “Bacteria, sewage, gasoline, PCBs, oil, feces, industrial solvents, heavy metals – you can’t even imagine some of the things we are finding left in homes and their lawns.”

Concern about post-Hurricane Sandy sludge has prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to test baseball fields in Lyndhurst, NJ for contaminants, according to NorthJersey.com. The fear is that Sandy spread waste created by decades of manufacturing pesticides and herbicides, including Agent Orange, at nearby facilities. In another instance, Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, NJ has had to remove and clean fuel-stained headstones after Sandy drenched the cemetery with an oil-rich tidal surge from a nearby refinery, The Star-Ledger reports.

If you were flooded during Hurricane Sandy, find out if your home is safe by having your property tested right away. Once spring comes, your children and pets will be playing in that soil, and the effect on their health could be devastating. For more information on water and soil contamination, click here. Call RTK today at (800) 392-6468 or click here to book an appointment.