Just stepped outside to move my car (near The Westminster Choir College) - the entire neighborhood smells very strongly of paint thinner! WTH? It smells and feels downright toxic outside!

This strong smell has been in the neighborhood and coming from the former hospital site in the last week (at least). The smell was overwhelming when walking by the hospital site/garage yesterday (Tuesday), mostly in the afternoon around 5:30p, but I could also smell it at home on Jefferson Road. I wonder what the impact is on the students at the Community Park School.

7.30am can smell it on my. Block of Jefferson

The site was visited yesterday afternoon and early this morning in response to the odor complaints from nearby residents. The odors described by complaints of the residents were similar in nature to the material being painted on the concrete. As an extension of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the Mercer County Division of Public Health responded to the location this morning to begin their investigation of the odors. Findings this morning determined that the material being used yesterday was the last coat of primer for the structure and odors associated with that particular product are stronger than the final coat (being applied today). The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for both the primer and top coat has been received by the Health Department. Work is expected to be completed by tomorrow afternoon. Future complaints regarding odors emanating from the site will be investigated jointly with the Mercer County Division of Public Health. If a complaint is verified, a "statement of complaint form" may need to be signed on site to begin enforcement action. Future complaints may also be called into the Health Officer Jeff Grosser, (609)497-7610.

It would be helpful if the health officer posts the Materials Data Safety Sheet so those of us who live here can understand what product is being used that is creating this pungent odor. Will it be posted here?
If not, where will it be available to the public?

Indeed - I can't imagine that the strong, acrid smell of paint thinner (or whatever that is) blanketing the neighborhood for many blocks is exactly good for ANY of us to be breathing and absorbing into our bodies. Time for FULL disclosure - especially from an outfit like Avalon Bay that doesn't exactly have a great track record with anything but the bottom line.

All of that MSDS information and an update from the Health Officer are posted in the notice here. They are also available on the town's Facebook page, Princeton, NJ Government and will be on the town's website later today. As mentioned earlier, if you have any further questions don's hesitate to call the Health Officer at 609-497-7610.

Issue 1988308 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Where is the notice with the specific information about the substance causing the solvent smell?

I apologize the links didn't work on the city notice. Here is the link for the town's website http://princetonnj.gov/ The information is available here.

From the "Safety Data Sheet" now posted for the first substance: "Harmful if inhaled.... Suspected of causing cancer. May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure." - and the Data Sheet for the second substance used has all of this and includes "Fatal if inhaled." These toxic brews that we've been subjected to are made in Dallas, Texas, naturally! How lovely!

Issue 1972269 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

The issue that you submitted has been addressed and we are now closing this. Should you need anything further, please feel free to submit another request or you may contact Access Princeton at 609-924-4141.

If odors are detected please contact the Princeton Health Department (609) 497-7608 between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. or the Princeton Police non-emergency hotline (609)921-2100 afterhours. Odor complaints may also be called into the NJ Department of Environmental Protection by calling 1-877-WARN-DEP. A county representative will be notified of the complaint and respond based upon the nature of the complaint.

Make sure to like us on Facebook - Princeton, NJ Government
or on Twitter - @accessprinceton.

This issue is NOT closed. I have to return to the doctor today due to tingling in my hands (it feels as though the blood is draining from my fingers), my heart races intermittently, I have trouble breathing. My son has a sore in the corner of his mouth and in his mouth. My children have stomachaches. This issue will not be closed until the town of Princeton answers why it cowers before AvalonBay and does not protect its citizens, including the 5 and 8 year old children who stood before you at the Council meeting. Marc Dashield, you will answer why you acted as a defense attorney for AvalonBay at the meeting this past Monday, saying that tarps were put up to help with fumes. Those tarps of which you speak? Full of holes. And so are the excuses. You will answer what plans you have in place to protect the community.

Thank you for your comments Ms.Cohan. I am sorry that you are having these issues. We acknowledge your concerns and they are being looked into. As previously stated if you detect any additional odors please reach out to the Health office during normal business hours or the Police Dept. after hours. You can also contact the NJ DEP with your complaint.

This does appear to be a pattern in how such issues are dealt with here in Princeton. Work being done in the neighborhood that is clearly and blatantly a health issue is reported. An officer is assigned - they look into it - possibly a warning or a symbolic "slap on the wrist" via giving those associated with the site a talking to - and then they let us know that the work is almost done or about to be completed -- as if that makes it all better. Have you LOOKED at those Safety Data sheets for this stuff? How are toxic substances that say "Harmful if inhaled.... Suspected of causing cancer. May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure." - and "Fatal if inhaled" okay and allowed to be used and let be spread around our neighborhood?! I'll tell you: money talks and suckers (that's us residents, folks) walk - or can go pound salt, take your pick.

We need to see written documentation that the site was shut down. There is no mention of the town shutting down the site in the OFFICIAL statement on 10/23, which leads me to think that really did not occur. Grosser himself said they didn't shut it down when I spoke to him last Thursday. Here is my account of what happened to me and my children (10/21-22):

This STINKS: Avalon Bay Princeton/Garage (two days of recollections)
10/21 2:50pm Through living room window, observe pedestrian walk past garage and cover his face. Woman with stroller also hurries up block toward Community Park Elementary School (CP). School pickup begins at 2:55.
2:52 Leave home and become enveloped in strong fumes. Immediately call Engineering Department, tell them about fumes. Am transferred to Jeff Grosser, health inspector. Leave voicemail saying I'm heading to CP to pick up my kids, strong horrible odor everywhere on my block, mention pedestrian I'd seen.
3:58 Jeff responds, leaves message.
4:22 I return call while walking home with my kids from CP, say that smell is still very strong.
5:15 Leave house with children to drive to the high school. Immediately enveloped in extremely strong fumes right outside of front door. "These are worse than when we came home," 8 year old son exclaims. Begin to actually feel scared. Get in car which is filled with the fumes. Short drive to the high school. Windows down but smell remains. Son declares he's going as toxic waste for Halloween due to the fumes.
7:26 post pic of garage and ask FB contacts if they've also noticed the fumes. Numerous comments ensue, from those who know a neighbor whose eyes were affected to others having called into Access Princeton and feeling like it was a fruitless exercise.
10/22 6:45am Wake up with puffy eyes, sore throat/phlegm, headache, heaviness on my chest. Daughter also has sore throat, phlegm, and is congested.
8:25 Run into a fellow CP mom and ask if she's noticed anything (as she pushes her preschool age son in his stroller.) "Yes! It's like I have a paint can ON MY HEAD." Speak with an employee of CP. She says that, upon lowering the windows to cool her car yesterday, it filled with fumes. When she drove by Conte's, the fumes were so strong that she felt scared, and thought, "This is our Bhopal."
8:48 Call Jeff Grosser and leave a voicemail begging and pleading for him to STOP the work, do NOT let them proceed with this work, that I woke up sick and so did my daughter, that many people are upset. Then we leave for Philly (after my husband sends Bob Kiser, town engineer, and email.) I intermittently lose my voice, have a headache and heaviness on my chest.
10:44 Jeff Grosser calls me at my client in Philly. He's polite, allows me to vent, informs me that it's Mercer County with odor complaint jurisdiction, that they've been called in to begin an investigation as the smell was very bad yesterday. He also says that he got to the site around 4:30, the work day was done for the day. (Internally I was wondering how, after having said on my message that I was going to pick up my kids at school, that an APB wasn't sent to all responders to ensure the safety of the children streaming out of the schools. Poor judgement call by somebody.) He did say someone had been out on the site earlier in the day but smelled nothing. Apparently, when a call is made, the complainant must remain on the site for the inspector to verify (also smell) the odor, and a complaint must be signed as well. I explain that nobody knows that they have to stick around. What if people can't stay on the site? What if the wind shifts? The Mercer inspectors are based in Trenton, they might not arrive in time? I asked why they didn't stop the work but he says monetary fines are what get their attention. (Internally I'm thinking time is money too, shut the site down - and they do have that power, for at least a day.) I advised him that nobody knows this and that the town should get in CYA mode and let everyone know the exact process and who has power over what. I'm left with the understanding that whatever they'd done on 10/21 was DONE, and that whatever remained to be done had lower VOCs. And that the neighborhood would be informed.
3:27pm A fellow CP mom/neighbor says on my FB timeline that the hospital site (Avalon Bay garage) is even worse. She's made calls. I explain that the process involves more than just a call.
7:00 Drive by my home to ascertain odor status. VERY STRONG.
8:00 Return with children, who've been advised to hold their breath until they enter the home. As soon as we pull into the
driveway, son says, "There it is again, the smell."
9:00 Note coverage on a local blog that Grosser is quoted saying, “Yesterday the odor was quite strong,” said Grosser. “We contacted the Mercer County Division of Public Health, which is responsible for enforcing odor air pollution regulations. They met us on site and began an investigation, at which point we were informed by the project manager that on site work is going to be finished tomorrow (Friday)…That’s not to say the odor is going to go away.”
Oh, does the project manager running the show? Is that why are they allowed to sicken the community? The town and the county should dictate when and how the project will be finished. Do it in small sections, do it only at certain times of the night, use different materials. Avalon Bay has a terrible record of safety failures that were brought up repeatedly when the neighborhood fought the project. This is common knowledge for all parties. Check on the workers, are they protected? Because the people walking by the site and living in the neighborhood aren't protected, and they definitely do not feel safe, heard, dignified or valued.

This complaint was resolved when the painting was completed in late October 2015.

Case being reopened as monitoring of the site is continuing by Health Officer, Engineering and Construction Offices.

Thanks for reopening this, Jeff Grosser - I appreciate your awareness.
What plans does the town have for protecting its citizens?
-- Will VOC detection equipment be made directly available to you (on site, in your office), in lieu of having to wait for the County to respond, which results in valuable time lost and increased potential hazard to citizens? If it hasn't yet been made a priority, who should citizens and journalists contact for information?
-- Will another Health Officer be hired to assist you in your work, resulting in faster response times to reports of strong VOCs? Since citizens are supposed to remain on-site, inhaling toxic fumes in order to file an in-person report, response time is CRUCIAL.
- What of citizens who do not live on the sidewalk in front of the garage? Is the best method for them to provide their phone number? Do they have to meet you at the site? What is the process for complaints that are not made from a residence?
-- How did Avalon Bay respond to my request, via our conversation a few weeks ago, that they refrain from high-VOC work during busy times in the neighborhood (morning and afternoon commutes to the nearby schools)? Are they in accordance? If not, what legislative powers are the Mayor and Council investigating?
-- Is our Mayor and Council working on an ordinance to protect the community with regard to their power over materials used at this site, and others, in the community? If they can pass an ordinance around business hours, surely an ordinance that directly protects the health and welfare of citizens can also be drafted and passed. Sustainable Princeton also needs to be protected Princeton.
-- Has Marc Dashield been informed that MSDS sheets are not merely for on-site workers, as he stated several weeks ago at the Council meeting, and that they are for everyone? Has he also been informed that tarps full of holes, and gaps from the wall, are haphazard attempts at ameliorating a hazardous situation?
Again, thank you for being aware and recognizing that this issue cannot be closed until the Mayor and Council, themselves (not private citizens), research and confront this dangerous situation with courageous and effective solutions.

I am so sad to learn this is how environmental issues are handled here. I had a similar complaint when construction debris was blowing up allover our houses. I posted a video but that is hard to do with odors. I am guessing they figure once the smell goes away, you'll forget to complain.

time to start a new thread