the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The illegal dumping of large amounts of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items at the Village’s compost facility on Lakeview Drive remains unsolved more than 14 months after the debris was initially discovered there by NJDEP Inspector Kenneth Cadematori.
The staff of The Ridgewood Blog remains perplexed as to how several tons of illegal materials were transported into a gated and locked facility, dumped, and then concealed with wood chips by someone using a bucket loader – all of this done without anyone seeing anything out of the ordinary?
This is what NJDEP Inspector Cadematori wrote in his official reports about the dumping:
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Report dated 7/14/2015 (Note: Mr. Cadematori had previously inspected the site on 6/4/2015 and found no violations):
During a routine compliance inspection, noticed a large amount of concrete, asphalt millings, brick, and home renovation items illegally dumped over a berm on the site. The four (4) spots where these materials were illegally deposited were along a river. I noticed these four (4) areas of illegal dumping when I saw that these four (4) spots on the berm had a bucket loader of woodchips and tire marks leading up to it. Once I stood onto of the berm I saw the 4 spots of illegal dumping.
I called the site supervisor to meet me at the site because the Superintendent was not in the office. While I was waiting a Town of Ridgewood worker pulled in and then drove off when I was attempting to flag them down about the illegal dumping, I was wearing my bright neon safety vest and white safety helmet and waving my papers while the worker was only 30 yards away from me. The supervisor was shocked and unhappy that someone would do this at their site. We reached out to the Superintendent who is filing a police report with the Town of Ridgewood.
The facility is arranging to get equipment to assist with the job. The facility needs to deconstruct the berm which was previously made up of asphalt millings/chunks, concrete, and dirt so the contaminants in these material don’t run-off into the river directly below the berm. Also, the facility needs to take out all C&D material in the woods, put materials into roll-off containers, and then bring to a recycling center and get receipts for the amount of material and show proof of correctly disposing of illegally dumped materials on their property.
Report dated 7/17/2015:
Met with Ridgewood Village Superintendent and engineer about the illegal dumping that happened on the site. The Superintendent has filed a police report with the town of Ridgewood and an investigation is underway. During the on-site meeting we discussed appropriate actions on removing illegally dumped material in the woods and removing a section of berm which is made up of concrete, asphalt millings and some dirt. The run-off from these berms are going into the river below.
Superintendent is waiting on appropriate equipment and roll off containers top put debris in so the Department and town can understand the amount of material that was illegally dumped.
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In the hope of solving this “crime of the Century,” the staff of The Ridgewood Blog is now considering starting a GO FUND ME page to raise money in order that a CASH reward can be provided to the individual(s) who provides information that leads to the arrest AND successful conviction of the person or persons responsible for this as yet unsolved act.
Stay tuned folks.
