S2737

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred Madden which would allow owners and operators of licensed child care centers to be reimbursed for the cost of hazardous site ground and building contamination assessments to check for contaminant levels in soil and work to help prevent ground contamination like what occurred at Kiddie Kollege was unanimously approved today by the full Senate.

Kiddie Kollege was a daycare center in Franklinville, Gloucester County, which was shut down in July of 2006 after workers in the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) discovered that the center had been operating on the former site of an Accutherm mercury thermometer factory for over two years.

“This legislation is about helping to protect a very special segment of our most vulnerable citizens – our children,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “When companies decide to dump hazardous waste into our ground and water supply, they are putting local residents at risk. It is our job to make sure that the centers that care for our children are safe and free from harmful contaminants.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred Madden which would allow owners and operators of licensed child care centers to be reimbursed for the cost of hazardous site ground and building contamination assessments was unanimously approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

“The Kiddie Kollege situation showed us that conducting soil and water assessments is absolutely necessary to making sure that our children are safe while they are at day care,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “The assessments will cost an estimated $1,500 a piece, which could pose a financial burden on many of the smaller centers. This legislation would help ease that financial burden so that centers can focus their energy on taking care of our children.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred Madden which would allow owners and operators of licensed child care centers to be reimbursed for the cost of hazardous site ground and building contamination assessments was unanimously approved today by the Senate Environment Committee.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Kiddie Kollege situation, it’s the importance of making sure that the facilities that care for our children are environmentally safe,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “This legislation will provide a mechanism to reimburse the costs associated with conducting the necessary testing to assure the environmental safety of sites.”