Tag: NJDEP

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Latest update from Toll Brothers site in Upper Saddle River : Mud is back in Pleasant Brook 

Screenshot 2018 05 21 at 9.13.56 AM e1526908534858

May 21,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, Latest update from Toll Brothers site tonight. According to immediate neighbor of Toll Brother they were pumping mud all day today (Sunday, May 20, 2018). After documented Thursday (May 17 mud discharge) Pleasant Brook was starting to clear up this morning but and now it’s FULL of MUD again at 9:30pm .

At this point we don’t care if Toll Brothers is discharging this mud intentionally or that they simply can’t cope with the amount of storm water gushing from 100 plus acres of soil which was contaminated with high level of arsenic and lead.
Allegedly the soil was tilled with huge bulldozers – tillers and now it’s considered “remediated”. However no soil was removed from the site just spread around. Now the question remains what happens with that arsenic and lead after 5 months of being discharged (intentionally or unintentionally) to Upper Saddle River aquafire? So far not one water test was produced by neither Toll Brothers, Boswell engineers or our famous building director James Dougherty. Police officers called to the scene advised me that they were advised not to touch anything which might came in contact with that water due to alleged arsenic and lead contamination. If it’s bad for police officers how on earth can it be safe for GreenUSR residents. Since GreenUSR members lost confidence in ability of our local government to handle this situation we will be asking feds for assistance. 

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Tub grinder “system” jointly owned by Glen Rock and Ridgewood has been Out of Service Since July 2017

tub grinder

file photo

February 12,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Glen Rock and Ridgewood share use of a tub grinder. We have heard that the tub grinder has been broken for quite some time now and Ridgewood is responsible for fixing it.

Our source has informed us that the tub grinder “system” is jointly owned by Glen Rock and Ridgewood. Glen Rock owns the tractor and Ridgewood owns the trailer (the tub grinder itself). The “system” can be transported back and forth between Glen Rock’s composting location and Ridgewood’s composting location.

The trailer (tub grinder apparatus) hasn’t been functioning properly since July of 2017. Several attempts were made to fix the device, but no fix lasted for any significant length of time. As of now, it’s out of service, that’s why an outside contractor was called in to grind leaves. Collected leaves can’t sit until the machine is back in service because the NJDEP has rules that limit the time collected leaves can remain in place prior to processing.

Our source also indicated that in all likelihood, the tub grinder is beyond repair and will need to be replaced by a new machine. No bid specifications have yet been advertised for a replacement.

 

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NJDEP Paid $3 Million in Salaries for Work that Never Took Place

NJDEP

 

A state environmental cleanup program may have to start work or stop paying its employees.The results of an Office of Legislative Services audit of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection were released Monday, showing that the NJDEP is five years behind on a deadline for ranking toxic sites in the state to establish which sites to clean up first. NJDEP employees, that report said, continued to be paid salaries from a fund intended to finance clean-up efforts that never began. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more

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The word is that since Paul, Albert and Gwenn are not running they have no reason to listen to the residents no matter how reasonable or how many speak out

town_garage_theridgewoodblog

March 10,2016
Linda McNamara

Ridgewood NJ, Last night’s meeting has truly changed the conversation or at least it should.  Roberta is holding on to a 100,000 dollar  check from the RBSA that has” Strings Attached” re:  not to be used unless a 90 foot baseball diamond is to be built.  My mini financial transactions with the village advised me to deposit all checks and cash within 48 hours of receipt.  But even more disturbing is that we also heard last night that there is an additional $100,000 in Open Space accounts available for approved projects.  How is it that when Isabella Altano came before the council with 45,000 dollars for the purpose of a matching grant to stabilize the Schedler/ Zabriskie House,  she was told that there wasn’t a single penny available for grant purposes and that no staff could be used to help her with other grant opportunities.  Obviously, this wasn’t true and the only thing that one can surmise is that the council majority along with Roberta had no intention of doing anything  to help Friends of Schedler in their quest to save the house and develop the property in a fitting manor.

But this wasn’t the worst revelation that occurred last night. Ridgewood Water is in trouble.  Sludge pipes disintegrating releasing toxic sludge into the streets that was diverted into the streams and Kings Pond!  And the on going problem of toxic contaminants seeping into the ground water at the Town Garage and municipally owned sites for many years!  Now it is reported in The Record that Ridgewood is one of 5 towns in the Bergen/ Passaic area with PFOA toxins in the water at high levels. Why isn’t this  a top priority at the municipal level? We should be investigating filters for the wells and  immediately remediate the situation at the Town Garage and abutting municipal sites.  Use eminent domain to gain control of the site we don’t own, fix the huge problem there and then develop it in a manner that is best suited for Ridgewood.  I hope I hear back because at this moment in time I believe it is my civic duty to contact the DEP and ask them to revisit their recommendations  for cleanup that have been ignored for the last 8 years.   We are currently looking to bond approx. 11 million dollars for a garage and while this is important it is not nearly as important as our water.

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NJDEP Uncovers illegal dumping at Village Compost Site

NJDEP

July 18,2015
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, I have received word from several sources that an NJDEP inspector recently uncovered evidence of illegal dumping at the Village’s compost site on Lakeview Drive.

The illegally dumped materials were reported to be composed of concrete; word on the street is that they might be old sidewalks and curbing dumped there by a contractor who worked in the past for the Village.

Further word is that a Village employee MAY have knowingly authorized the disposal of these materials there; this has not been confirmed as yet though.

Let’s wait and see if anyone’s head rolls as a result of the huge fine sure to be levied by NJDEP, and paid for, of course, by taxpayers.

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VILLAGE BUSTED!

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VILLAGE BUSTED!
September 18,2014
Boyd A. Loving
9:54 AM

Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Ridgewood Village Council Work Session, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld made an extremely surprising announcement – 

Land acquired by the Village using Green Acres funds was subsequently sold in 1982, yes 32 years ago, for purposes of creating a low/moderate income housing development.  The sale of property acquired with the assistance of Green Acres funds is prohibited by law, with few exceptions, and without the prior approval of State of NJ Department of Environmental (NJDEP) officials.

The property in question is located on the west side of South Broad Street, between Edwards Street and Highwood Avenue.  Prior to its sale, it served as a public park – there was playground equipment and a partially covered pavilion on the property.  A long time South Broad Street property owner recalls the park being closed at the request of neighbors because it had become a magnet for drug activity in the area.

The partially covered pavilion was dismantled and placed into storage; it was subsequently reconstructed at Graydon Pool near the snack bar and patio area and is still in place there.  The playground equipment, swings and seesaws, was likely discarded after being dismantled.

NJDEP officials recently contacted the Village after an audit revealed a disconnect between the Village’s inventory of open space and the State of NJ’s open space records.  Restitution for the unlawful disposition of Green Acres acquired property is now expected in the form of purchasing additional open space – in a 5 to 1 ratio – that is, 5 times more open space must be acquired than was sold.  Additionally, the new property must be outfitted with essentially the same amenities – it has to be a playground with a partially covered sitting area.

Ms. Sonenfeld indicated that Village officials are currently negotiating the purchase of property in connection with the State’s mandate to make restitution.  In all likelihood, two (2) parcels will be purchased to meet the “5 to 1 ratio” requirement.  No information was publicly provided at the Council Work Session as to the location of parcels targeted for purchase.