The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Ridgewood NJ, grocery store chain Stop & Shop has announced plans to close 32 underperforming stores, including locations in Carlstadt, Ringwood, and eight other sites in New Jersey by the end of this year.
Continue reading Stop & Shop to Close 32 Underperforming Stores, Including 10 in New Jersey
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Ringwood NJ, on Monday afternoon, the Ringwood Police Department announced that they had successfully located a missing 60-year-old hiker, concluding a search effort that resulted in a partial shutdown of Ringwood State Park.
Continue reading Missing Hiker Found Safe After Search of Ringwood State Park
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Ringwood NJ, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and Commissioner of Environmental Protection (DEP) Shawn M. LaTourette announced today that the DEP has filed suit against Ford Motor Co. over its contamination of hundreds of acres of soil, water, wetlands and other natural resources in Passaic County.
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Englewood NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of MICHAEL LIGUS (DOB: 10/1/97; single; owner of DIRTY JERZY SUPPLIES LLC) of 92 Valley Road, Ringwood, NJ; DAMIAN WESLER SR. (DOB: 1/2/78; single; owner of DIRTY JERZY SUPPLIES LLC) of 45 Bentley Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ; DAMIAN WESLER JR. (DOB: 07/16/99; single; operator of DIRTY JERZY SUPPLIES LLC) of 9 Maria Court, Ringwood, NJ; ANTHONY GARCIA (DOB: 12/27/77; single; unemployed) of 772 First Street, Secaucus, NJ; and EZEKIEL PAULINO (DOB: 4/17/96; single; store clerk) of 70 Daniel Avenue, Rutherford, NJ on drug offenses. The arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Jason Love.
Continue reading Owners of Aptly Named Dirty Jerzy Supplies Charged with Drug Offenses
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Ringwood NJ, Senator Holly Schepisi called on the Murphy administration to reverse its decision to cancel swimming completely at Ringwood State Park for the 2021 season due to a shortage of lifeguards.
“There are labor shortages all across New Jersey in virtually every industry,” said Schepisi (R-39). “Aside from the Murphy administration, everyone else is finding a way to adapt even if it means operating with fewer staff on a limited schedule. Why can’t that happen at Ringwood State Park? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
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Ringwood NJ, The New Jersey Sierra Club sent a letter to DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe requesting a public hearing for the Consent Decree regarding cleanup of the Ford Superfund site in Ringwood. The letter also asked to extend the public comment period from 60 to 120 days. NJSC noted the complexity of the site and the public interest in the issues involved in making the requests. The EPA recently struck a $21 million settlement with the Ford Motor Company and Ringwood on a plan to cap hazardous materials on the site. (See NJSC letter to DEP attached)
Continue reading New Jersey Sierra Club : DEP Must Hold Public Hearing on Ringwood Superfund Settlement
Apr 25, 2016
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) today called upon U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy and EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck to re-evaluate their decision to place a barrier over the 166,000 tons of contaminated materials at the Ringwood Superfund Site instead of pursuing complete removal of the toxic substances.
Recent discoveries of significant levels of 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen that may result in liver, kidney, and upper respiratory damage, at levels close to 100 times the state maximum standard, raises new concerns about the EPA’s decision to cap the site. Congressman Garrett demands that the EPA identify all potential toxic substances that may be present at the Ringwood Superfund Site and ensure that a new cleanup plan rectifies the presence of all hazardous substances once and for all.
“As you know, the Ringwood Superfund Site is a decades old and continued concern for New Jersey residents,” said Garrett in his request to the EPA. “The discovery of an additional toxic substance has increased public concern about the EPA’s decision to approve the plan to cap the site. New Jersey residents deserve to know that a plan to mitigate hazardous substances in their communities will be successful and will permanently remove the public health threat posed to them.”
The Congressman is also demanding answers from a February 2016 letter where he requested information about groundwater tests when it came to light that they had knowledge of the presence of 1,4-dioxane. To date, the EPA has not responded to these requests.
Congressman Garrett’s Specific Requests from the EPA:
1. Is the EPA reevaluating the decision to cap the site instead of a full cleanup due to the discovery of a new toxic substance and the possibility that other toxic substances may be present?
2. What were the reasons behind approving the plan to cap the site despite the EPA initially supporting a full cleanup?
3. What are the criteria for pursuing the plan to cap the site and does the presence of a new toxic substance affect these criteria?
To read the entire letter, click here.