file photo by Boyd Loving
State fines Ridgewood for water discharge from Graydon Pool
Monday November 18, 2013, 1:39 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood has netted a lofty fine for a maintenance practice that has been performed at Graydon Pool for several years, but before they pay, village officials are seeking further explanation for the $25,000 penalty handed to them by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Mayor Paul Aronsohn is pushing for the state’s clarification of the penalty, asking why, after years of receiving perceived permission, the practice of pumping water from the sandy-bottomed municipal pool into the adjacent Ho-Ho-Kus Brook is now an unacceptable exercise.
According to municipal engineer Chris Rutishauser, the village “has been slapped with an administrative consent order” by the DEP, which said Ridgewood has been inappropriately discharging muddy water into the brook. A state inspector cited the village for incidents observed prior to the 2012 swimming season, specifically on May 1 and again on May 10
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/232374311_State_fines_Ridgewood_for_water_discharge_from_Graydon_Pool.html#sthash.3aLczXQq.dpuf
We should ask for a ‘clarification’ (yeah-I said it!). Environmental concerns can be carried to an absurd level, particularly in today’s political environment, and Ridgewood should not roll over and pay the fine without getting full information on why it is appropriate.
This must be a joke the village has been doing this for decades.Does the DEP have nothing better to do?
Graydon is not worth the effort as a swimming pool. Can’t we just make it a beautiful pond instead, and go swimming somewhere else? Most people in town don’t use it for swimming anyway. Someone could put up a restaurant overlooking the pond (with outdoor seating from April to October). Ice skating in the winter, etc. The problems all stem from Graydon being used as a swiming pool (DEP fines, drowning lawsuits, access ramps, natural bottom versus sand bottom).
Follow up to #3: Sorry, I meant natural bottom vs. concrete or vinyl bottom.
Yeah, but rolling over seems to be what we do best.
RW has become a laughing stock – a willing cash register open to anyone for the taking.
This is simply a money grab by the DEP. It is the new standard operating procedures for Gov’t. Just look at what the Federal Gov’t is doing to JP Morgan. They make JP Morgan buy Bear Stearns and then years later fine them billions for things Bear Stearns did. The NJ DEP is just following the play book. Did anyone tell the inspector there is a sewage treatment plant a mile or so up river that dumps really bad stuff in the river?