Tag: NJDEP

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Despite “full steam ahead” proclamation from Village, NJDEP puts brakes on Schedler project review scheduled for Juneteenth

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the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, in response to written comments submitted to NJDEP by multiple Ridgewood taxpayers (NOT VILLAGE OFFICIALS) about the appropriateness of NJDEP scheduling a meeting of the Historic Sites Council on Thursday, June 19, a recognized national holiday (Juneteenth), Ms. Elizabeth Dragon, a NJDEP Assistant Commissioner, NJDEP has informed those taxpayers of NJDEP’s plans to reschedule the meeting.  “Alternative dates“ are being reviewed right now as per Ms. Dragon.

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NJ Black Bear Sightings Drop 28% in 2025, But Safety Still Key, Experts Say

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New Jersey Sees Decline in Bear Encounters This Year, But Officials Urge Continued Caution

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey has seen a significant 28.21% decrease in reported black bear incidents in 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). From January 1 to May 21, the state logged 257 bear-related incidents, down from 358 during the same period in 2024.

Continue reading NJ Black Bear Sightings Drop 28% in 2025, But Safety Still Key, Experts Say

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Told You So: NJ Says Ridgewood’s Turf Field Plan ‘Encroaches’ on Historic Schedler House

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The critics were right. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Historic Preservation Office has officially deemed Ridgewood’s plan to build a large artificial turf sports field next to the historic Zabriskie-Schedler House an encroachment that fails to meet preservation standards.

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Village Council Members Balk about Costs Associated with Answering Taxpayers’ Questions

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, During  a discussion at Wednesday evening’s Village Council public work session, some Council members expressed concern about costs associated with NJDEP-mandated FAQs related to remediation of contaminated soil at the Schedler property.

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Ridgewood Fields Usage – Another flim-flam in the making?

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the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, a rather disturbing revelation was made by Ridgewood officials during Tuesday’s Fields Committee meeting.

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“Shady” activities at Ridgewood Village Hall? What the heck?

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the staff of The Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, in response to allegations voiced by some residents during Wednesday night‘s Village Council meeting that Ridgewood officials are engaging in “shady“ activities related to the Schedler property’s future configuration/use, Village Manager Keith Kazmark cited his own definition of “shady.“

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Village of Ridgewood Council: “You can keep saying it, but it won’t make it true”

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the staff of the Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, message to Councilperson Siobhan Winograd:

Continue reading Village of Ridgewood Council: “You can keep saying it, but it won’t make it true”

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Wetlands Assessment Needed for Schedler Property in Ridgewood

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, as part of the town’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) application, a wetlands assessment is required for the Schedler property. While recent Village Council and Fields Committee meetings have noted on-the-record that wetlands might not exist at Schedler, the final determination lies with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

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Ridgewood Water Reflects on the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, December 18, 1974, marked a monumental step in environmental history: the signing of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) into law. This legislation was designed to protect public health by establishing enforceable national standards for drinking water quality, ensuring cleaner and safer water for Americans across the country.

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BREAKING: Yet another boil water advisory from Ridgewood Water

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the staff of The Ridgewood Blog

Ridgewood NJ, in comments made during a Ridgewood Village Council meeting on Wednesday, October 9th, Richard Calbi, Director of Ridgewood Water, advised Council members of a boil water advisory that was issued on Tuesday, October 8th in connection with a “low pressure event.” The “event” occurred between 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM on Tuesday morning, October 8th. Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark again cited lawn watering as the likely event trigger.

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Take Action to Protect the Historic Schedler Property from Artificial Turf and Toxic Contamination!

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, demand that the Ridgewood Mayor, the New Jersey Attorney General, and the NJDEP do their due diligence to find the source of legacy contamination and stop this proposed harmful development!

Activists including the Sierra Club are urging residents to hold officials accountable and demand that the Ridgewood Mayor, New Jersey Attorney General, and NJDEP conduct a full investigation following the discovery of hazardous soil contamination. The 42 million pounds of ‘free soil’ obtained from various sources, including Ridgewood Water and Bergen County Community College, could ultimately cost the public millions, with no clear assessment of the health or environmental impacts. Despite public outcry, Ridgewood officials have refused to take action against those responsible.

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Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos Publicly Slams NJDEP for the “Speed” at Which They Operate

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the staff of The Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, members of our staff were falling off their chairs shocked on Wednesday night when Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos publicly disparaged the NJDEP during a Village Council meeting. Mr. Vagianos openly expressed his displeasure with how “slow” NJDEP conducts business. We know he said it once during the meeting, and we believe he may have said it a second time.

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Village of Ridgewood Opts Not to Disseminate Certain Schedler Property Site Remediation Information

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, for some reason, the Village has chosen not to disseminate this information to the general public. Only those residents who previously submitted questions regarding ongoing site remediation were made aware of the deadline for additional inquiries. The notification was made via the below noted e-mail, which was dated Tuesday, September 17, 2024. So much for transparency.

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Ridgewood Village Manager Celebrates National Ranking, While Residents Face Real Concerns

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Recently, Ridgewood was ranked #7 among the nation’s safest and wealthiest towns, a point of pride for the village manager. However, many residents feel this optimism is out of touch with the realities on the ground. Ridgewood faces environmental challenges, including hazardous contamination in three locations and water quality issues, with the highest PFAS levels in Bergen County, putting NJ to rank fourth nationwide.

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