Residents push for reform as illegal dumping continues to plague city of Camden
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- It's been dubbed a "toxic tour" through Camden. Environmental justice advocates, city residents, and members of the U.S. Attorney's Office boarded a bus Tuesday morning and stopped at several illegal dumping sites in the city.
Vida Neil lives in the Whitman Park neighborhood.
"What I want to see done is things to get better and clean up Camden," Vida Neil said.
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One of the stops on the tour was the Yaffa site in Bergen Square.
Illegal dumping has led to a more than two-story high pile of debris and soil that is contaminated with metals and pesticides.
"We're concerned on hot days and windy days those particles can become airborne and people breathe it in," Roy Jones said.
Roy Jones is with the National Institute for Healthy Human Spaces.
He claims the city has done nothing to stop illegal dumping and after the tour, he made a presentation in front of the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he called for federal intervention.
Jones laid out a list of recommendations for the dumping sites across the city, which includes $100 million in environmental reparations for what he calls possible harm done to residents in the city.
"To make sure that environmental justice happens in this city," Jones said.
The city of Camden tells CBS News Philadelphia that it's been working with the state of New Jersey to address the illegal dumping.
At the Yaffa site, it's on track to remove the large pile of contaminated soil by the end of the year. However, Neil wants more done.
"They're all over the city and it seems every place there's a dump site there's a school, there's a baseball field," Neil said.
The city also told CBS News Philadelphia that they were unaware of the tour that took place Tuesday afternoon.
Members of the U.S. Attorney's Office went on the tour to listen and learn, but wouldn't comment on the next steps.
