By Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
A metals refinery company that operated in Middlesex County for decades has agreed to a $103 million settlement for the wrongful emission of toxic wastes from smelting operations, according to court documents.
United States Metals Refinery Co., of Delaware, owned a smelter from the early 1900s to 1991 on Middlesex Avenue in Carteret that discharged a by-product known to cause cancer and other health issues affecting adults and children, according to lawsuits filed in state and federal courts.
“The contaminants primarily consisted of lead, copper, arsenic, benzene, and other chemicals and heavy metals,” said Boris Shmaruk, one of the attorneys representing Carteret residents.
The total settlement of $103 million will be broken down into two categories – $61 million for cleanup, remediation, community outreach and additional sampling and analysis. The other $42 million will be paid to about 1,200 affected property owners in the “zone of contamination.”
Each property owner will receive about $18,000, according to the Vlasac & Shmaruk law firm.
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