This just came out today. Click on the link below.
There is a letter from the BOE President and Interim Superintendent that discusses what they found in the Orchard School soil. It’s not good. They have scheduled a mtg tomorrow night at BF middle school for the public. Also, this morning they fenced off the entire Orchard School field. No one is allowed on it. They may be finally owning up to what I always thought was a tainted situation that no one wanted to deal with.
BREAKING NEWS Ridgewood Public Schools has just received laborotory results for soil samples collected at the Orchard School this summer. For complete details, please click on link. – Orchard Soil Test Results
>Well put 9:53 AM.
>Since they sifted the dirt on site when they re-did Orchard field for drainage, I wanted to know why that was ok to do given that the ash was identified as between 1 to 3 feet below ground. They had dug down deeper than that to put in a new drainage system. They then piled all the dirt in numerous uncovered mounds and brought in a giant sifter to separate the dirt from boulders and tree trunks.
I began to ask questions of the BOE in late June of this year and got a letter from Angelo deSimone, bus. mgr. (dated July 2, 2007 basically ignoring my question and repeating what the “report” said about what was done to the site.
I still don’t have an answer as to why they allowed the toxic ash dirt to be sifted on site over the course of that year. If anyone knows, please post it here.
Why won’t they answer that question????????
>Of all the people who should know about toxins, wouldn’t you think that Mark Bombace, President of our Board of Education and Captain of the Ridgewood Fire Department would be an expert on the subject? Apparently not.
>Why didn’t our school board notify parents immediately upon ordering soil samples? They must have thought something wasn’t right. I would have kept my kids off the field this summer.
>” Oh, God forbid the kids have no place to play on the first day of school!!!! Snobs!!!!”
Oh really! It’s only the first day of school that they won’t have a field to play on? Is the field open today as it is the second day of school? NO. When will the field open 5:35 PM?
>There was never a “complete” ground cover. A few hot spots were identified. They dug holes and filled in with new dirt. It would be a good question to ask how many square feet were covered with new soil. So the ash is everywhere in the ashfill and they dig a few holes where it shows up as seeping to within inches of the surface.
The reason you thought it was complete was because they told you it was complete, when in fact they only completed the minimum they set out to do. By now, I’m sure it’s seeped up in other places and it will continue to do so over time. That’s a ton of digging up and patching holes.
Maybe they can make a movie and call it “Holes;” Get some prisoners to come in and dig holes all day and call it a camp.
>Fron the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:
“How likely are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that some PAHs may reasonably be expected to be carcinogens.
Some people who have breathed or touched mixtures of PAHs and other chemicals for long periods of time have developed cancer. Some PAHs have caused cancer in laboratory animals when they breathed air containing them (lung cancer), ingested them in food (stomach cancer), or had them applied to their skin (skin cancer).
How might I be exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)?
* Breathing air containing PAHs in the workplace of coking, coal-tar, and asphalt production plants; smokehouses; and municipal trash incineration facilities.
* Breathing air containing PAHs from cigarette smoke, wood smoke, vehicle exhausts, asphalt roads, or agricultural burn smoke.
* Coming in contact with air, water, or soil near hazardous waste sites.
* Eating grilled or charred meats; contaminated cereals, flour, bread, vegetables, fruits, meats; and processed or pickled foods.
* Drinking contaminated water or cow’s milk.
* Nursing infants of mothers living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to PAHs through their mother’s milk.
>Why wasn’t the general public notified? My children do not attend Orchard yet but they have been playing on the field for some time now. I should have been told of the concerns when the testing was being done. I drove over to the field and asked a woman who lives right across from the field. She had no idea that there was a problem – only that the field had been fenced off. The lack of communication by the BOE is inexcusable.
>The info you have given us 10:54 AM does not bode well for the Orchard children. How many times a day are they playing and rolling around on the Orchard field? Before school, recess, lunchtime, gym class, and after school?
I sure am relieved that my children did not attend a school built on a superfund site. If Orchard parents aren’t outraged, they should be.
>Hey, at least Orchard looks real pretty with that amphitheater and Looks are everything in this town.
Maybe Principal Muller should have been worrying more about the toxic dirt than building his amphitheater. You do know Principal Muller that you are in charge of the safety and well-being of the Orchard students and staff, right?
>10:04, its amazing you got a response at all! Incidents are generally not dealt with until they come to a boil..
>Maybe the Ridgewood BOE and Janice Dime from Paramus are dating and exchanging convoluted ideas on how to extract as much money as they can from the taxpayers and provide sub-standard service to the community.
>If I hear a board member or administrator utter the words, “We care about your children” at tonite’s meeting, I am literally going to vomit, puke, heave, upchuck, throw up, retch, blow my lunch, lose my cookies, hurl, etc. I think I’ll sit in the front row.
>Why wasn’t Dr. Muller’s signature on the letter that went home to the parents and guardians of Orchard School children? First and foremost, Dr. Muller is responsible for Orchard School. He needs to step up to the plate instead of hiding behind Dr. Brennan and the school board. Be a man, Dr. Muller.
>I agree with 11:42 that the principal has a duty to first look after the safety of the students. Did he just believe what he wanted to believe or blatantly ignore the evidence of toxic buildup under the field? He faced a huge parent opposition to his placing the addition on the side, rather than in the back, but tried to blame the board when in fact it was what HE wanted
He could care less about kids playing on an ash field. He had better things to do, like try to stop parents from bringing cookies and cupcakes into school for the once a year birthday celebration. He tried (and, thankfully failedl) to get this to be district policy.
So, he’s afraid of cakes but not of an ash landfill.
What kind of education turns people into strange beings like that?
>Dr. Muller isn’t a parent, therefore, he can’t relate as a parent.
>1:35PM
Very funny…but this is a bit scary.
It’s not the playing on the field that is the problem; it’s the construction and field work that might have been done without the correct protocol that is worrisome. My kids have graduated Orchard, but where there during the Annex construction. Did that impact the children’s health?
Realistically, the school has been on that site for 40+ years and there are Ridgewood residents who went there and live in this town who are alive and well…we hope…
You’d have to get Valley to do a survey of the number of cases of illness within the Orchard school district in the last twenty years to know if the field lying dormant was a problem. My guess it that it isn’t.
But moving that stuff around and around, that may have been a problem.
>To 1:55 PM — Your guess is that the field lying dormant was not a problem. Are you an expert in toxic soil? What makes you think the field lay dormant all those years? Was the field tested every year for the past 40+ years? You don’t think that the dirt was moved around until just recently?
>I wonder how many Orchard graduates in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or 50’s who have medical problems are even thinking that it may have been caused by the toxic Orchard field?
>1:55 – establishing cause and effect from low level contaminants and minimal exposure is virtually impossible except in extreme cases (you’ve seen Erin Brokovich?? What would you have Valley do a simple survey of? Could folks accurately report exposures? Et.?? There’s far to many variables to relate low level contaminants at Orchard to chronic conditions or cancenrs. PAHs and lead are everywhere — in our air, water, soils. Ever notice the stacks on the gas stations at Franklin Tpke and Route 17. I believe that they are part of a vapor extraction and ground water remediation system for PAHs.
Still, better precautions to minimze exposure routes should have been implemented. Common sense should have prevailed somewhere along the line. Does the Ridgewood School Distict employ a Health and Safety Officer?
>1. Bombace, Brogan, Hutton, Vallerini, Muller, Gilman all knew they were dealing with disturbing hazadous soil when they planned and did the addition.
2. They said they would be making it “safer” because they would be covering the ashfill in concrete.
3. They refused to address the issue of moving the soil and releasing breathable toxins in the air.
4. If they had addressed it, the cost of the entire project would have skyrocketed because you have to take many more precautions with such construction, especially when young children are passing by the site daily.
5. To appease complaining parents, they took air samples inside the building (possibly outside as well) and declared that nothing was released into the air.
6. They got their addition as cheaply as possible, given the ash fill hazard and took the risks they reasoned they could take with our children.
I can’t believe these people any more. I’m sorry. But I just can’t. I don’t want them representing our kids, our schools, or our town, period.
>It’s pretty bad when you have to question the truthfulness of everything that comes out of the mouths of the school board members and the school administrators. What ever happened to honesty and integrity?
>Bill Dimodugno was right! He was the only one that stood up at town hall a few years ago and contested the whole project. I remember parents running down during the live proceeding and saying he didn’t speak for them…Remember?..I do.
Bully for you Bill!
And then, after seeing the writing on the wall, he moved for a better block!
Hero= Bill
Goat= Thomas
>Wait a Second!
Doesn’t the Orchard School song we all sing say, “once a field of apples”???
What kind of apples? If they were pumpkin sized, (tee hee) it probably forewarned us before building the school on the field!
CAN SOMEONE WRITE A NEW ORCHARD JINGLE PLEASE?
..and leave Dr. Muller out of this. He’s a good man doing a good job and creating a great environment for the school body. We need to stick up for him. He had nothing to do with this.
>So, Dr. Brennan, how does it feel to have to clean up after our administrators and board? Are you wearing boots like the rest of us?
>Can’t leave Muller out of this. It was his obstinance that gave us a construction site near and on a hazardous pit.
>You all need to get your facts straight. As was pointed out, the school was built on an ash dump site decades ago. Everyone was aware of it at the time. No one has been lied to.
The DEP said the area could be paved over or covered with 18″ of soil, and that it would be safe for use in either case. Some of the chemicals are now leaching up through the soil barrier. The problem is that it is in a flood plain. So, no new soil can be deposited without removing an equal amount.
I am sure that the BOE is exploring the options that are available to deal with the poblem, including state funds and insurance. But, it is no one’s fault that this situation exists. So, hold off on the lynch mob for once.
>NEWS FLASH – Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons = Asphalt.
DO NOT, I WARN YOU, DO NOT WALK IN THE STREET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The town council is planning on removing all streets in Ridgewood. The soil under the street has to go too. First, you’ll have to remove your driveways and the soil underneath (at your expense, of course). The the Village will remove all of the streets and soil. It hasn’t been figured out just yet how we’re going to be able to get around yet, but, hold tight, we’re from the government and we’re here to help you.
>6:49 – No one currently involved is at fault for causing the environmental problem. The problem lies in the fact that there was some concern by the district that led to the testing and that concern was not communicated to the public. It would have been simple to warn the public that there may be elevated levels of PAH and lead in the soil. Why was such a simple step not taken?
6:58 – You should run for BOE during the next election. You clearly have the callousness and stupidity to fit in with the majority of the current members.
>Time to install artificial turf all over town.
>WOW, Orchard has been hit with a double whammy — TOXIC TERC and TOXIC SOIL. You couldn’t pay me to live over there.
>OMG 5:03 — Did Dr. Muller pay you to kiss his ass on this blog?
>”leave Dr. Muller out of this. He’s a good man doing a good job and creating a great environment for the school body. “
You’ve got to be kidding. no math facts, no spelling, no tag, no football(which is good because the field is toxic), no paper in the backpacks, no cupcakes on your birthday, no parents in the classrooms, no money for the library roof and no grammar.
Thank god he’s looking out for the school body and giving us a great Police State enviroment.
>If they had just left the ash where it was (and as parents begged) we wouldn’t be in this position with toxins near the surface. But no. They had to play God. They had to dig it up.
Notice that wherever they dug within the last 7 years, we are now facing contaminated areas close to the surface. The field (dug up in 2000); around the new addition (dug up in 2003/4); the new art room (dug up in 2003/4)the amphitheatre (dug up in 2007).
This is a man-made (read: BOE made) problem. Our kids are paying the price for their hubris with the loss of field, playground, etc. Of course, companies and contractors will tell you they can do anything safely. Why? They want the money!
>6:49 the ash dump was not bothering anyone, that is, until our careless leaders decided to dig it up over and over again.
Is there a quicker way to contaminate the surface? Now that’s going to bother us!
>Not only is the entire Orchard School field fenced off, but now the amphitheater and the playground, too?
Seems like the children are going to go stir-crazy having to stay in the building all day.
We will have to put up with this tainted situation for how long?
>Went to the mtg last night. all I came away with was that they are now going to fence off the playground and the area by the amphitheater. they are having another mtg on Monday at the rhs campus ctr. there’ll be more experts there to answer questions. no one took responsibility for approving the digging up of the ash field. no one. they don’t monitor or test, or check up on the work of the people they hire after they approve a dig into contaminated soil. I can’t even believe my ears.
our kids have nowhere to play. muller said it is going to be like a rainy day–I guess every day until they figure out how to get the toxins away from the surface areas.
poor kids.
>9:42 pm- did you go to the meeting?
>6:18 am, yes I went to the meeting. why?
>What are the realtors going to tell prospective home buyers with children in the Orchard area?
Are they going to be truthful and say … “Your children will be attending Orchard School … they will not be able to play outside the school for God knows how long because of toxic dirt. But that’s okay because they can stay inside school with toxic terc.”
>So, it’s going to be a rainy day at Orchard School for how long? When will the sun come out so the children can play?
>Just what is Dr. Muller’s action plan for entertaining over 300 students inside the school all day every day?
He just had to have his amphitheater and the addition built on top of the contaminated soil. He sure didn’t want to listen to the knowledgeable Orchard parents who wanted the addition built where there was no contaminated soil.
Anyone who says Dr. Muller doesn’t have anything to do with this has their head buried in the toxic dirt.
>6:49 said, “Some of the chemicals are now leaching up through the soil barrier. The problem is that it is in a flood plain. So, no new soil can be deposited without removing an equal amount.”
Note to you–the chemicals are not leaching up by themselves…they were DISTURBED BY DIGGING. Those who approved and then didn’t monitor the digging are at fault. THEY ARE AT FAULT.
Parents were “lied” to when they were told that the digging would be safe and perfectly alright to do. THE DEP NEVER SAID IT WAS OKAY TO DIG INTO AN ASHFILL. THEY SAID THAT IF TOO CLOSE TO THE SURFACE IT SHOULD BE CAPPED, PERIOD.
The BOE and Muller wanted to dig. And dig they did.
>7:42 AM … Looks like the BOE and Muller dug themselves into a toxic hole! They need to take ownership of their actions.
>It’s too bad tar and feathering has gone out of fashion.
Each BOE member should be tied to a plank and carried off to Paramus.
Bill D. wasn’t the only one to stand up and opposed the placement of the new addition. I remember the Eric Gould, Joseph Alvaro and many other parents there who voiced there concerns.
Then the HSA mommies chimed in, sucking up to the BOE and proclaiming their support for the location of the the addition.
The most memorable statement from a BOE member came from Mr. Hutton, who smugly commented, “the train has left the station.”
A more appropriate phrase applies. The parents and citizens of the Orchard district “got railroaded.”
And by a bunch of incompetents at that.
>The school board and Muller need to do more than take ownership of their actions. They must resign! They put our children’s health at risk. That alone should constitute immediate dismissal!
>Bob Muller should resign immediately.
>I couldn’t go last night and looked for it on 77, but it wasn’t there.
Can someone please transcript and provide minutes for more information on what the BOE said?
Specifically about how the construction projects in the last 10 years where handled?
>What a beautiful day to be playing outside! Too bad it’s raining at Orchard.
>Principal Muller insisted that there would be NO problem when the addition was built over the ashfill. Well, Dr. “NO” was wrong and now we must insist that he resign!
LAN Associates wanted the business at the expense of our children’s health and well-being. Now they’re stuck in the building on a beautiful day.
When are our board members and Dr. NO going to listen to the parents? The parents were right.