Toxic Truth Time: Ridgewood Community Mobilizes for Critical Schedler Remediation Plan Meeting
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The long, contentious saga of the Zabriskie-Schedler property in Ridgewood, NJ, is coming to a head. For years, residents have raised alarms about the contaminated soil, environmental damage, and newly confirmed wetlands issues plaguing the historic site. Now, the community is demanding immediate answers and a concrete path forward.
Residents are urged to attend a critical community meeting this Thursday where the remediation plan will finally be unveiled.
The Problem: Contamination and Accountability Failures
The stakes are enormous. The Schedler property is contaminated with an estimated 24 million pounds of toxic soil, reportedly containing heavy metals like lead and mercury, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—with some contaminants exceeding stringent NJDEP standards. Compounding the issue are confirmed wetlands and historical integrity concerns, all of which have led to a collective feeling of “toxic injustice” within the community.
The public deserves to know the answers to the most fundamental questions:
- Who is Responsible? How did this contamination happen, and who within the local government allowed soil from other sites (including a Ridgewood Water site) to be dumped here, as previous reports suggest?
- Health Guarantees: What specific measures will be taken to guarantee the long-term health and safety of surrounding families and the environment?
The Critical Details: Excavating Millions of Pounds
The cleanup process itself presents a massive logistical and safety challenge. With 24 million pounds of contaminated soil needing excavation and removal, residents are demanding absolute clarity on the remediation plan from Matrix New World Engineering:
- Transport Safeguards: How will the massive volume of toxic material be safely excavated and transported through residential neighborhoods?
- Environmental Protection: What safeguards will be in place to prevent the spread of contaminants (airborne particulates, runoff) during the months-long removal process?
The remediation plan, which has been submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), must move beyond vague promises and deliver a detailed, transparent strategy for this historically and environmentally sensitive site.
It’s time to show up, speak up, and stand together until this environmental failure is truly fixed.
Community Action Alert: Meeting Details
- What: Public Presentation of the Schedler Property Soil Remediation Plan
- Presented By: Matrix New World Engineering
- Date: Thursday, November 13th
- Time: 6:30 PM
- Location: Village Hall — 131 N. Maple Ave. (Anne Zusy Youth Lounge, Level 1)
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We need answers for all the toxic dumping ? Who approved it? Who may have recurring illnesses from being around it?
And if they remove it, where will it go?
Shouldn’t a sign be posted to alert people to the fact that is contaminated soil? Many dog-walkers use it regularly.
By the stable was contaminated but not enough for them to clean it up. No grass is growing there so something is wrong with that soil right next to the garden and parking lot. It should be retested. Watch your dogs and kids over there. Buried secrets!
Take a peek at the area where the playground is planned.
Playground and pavilion went in so quickly. What is being covered up? The that barn nothing is growing and it was deemed contaminated. Kids are on it all the time