Monday, February 5, 2018

Understanding a Local Environmental Issue & Taking the First Step Towards Change

Superfund site near homes in Ringwood, NJ
 (photo/Jan Barry)

By Chris Bernstein

Ringwood, New Jersey is most well-known for its rich history, stunning old mansions, and beautiful state parks full of wildlife and picture-perfect plants and nature. Many do not know what lies beneath the surface and the anything but lovely legacy that has been left for one section of town.

Years ago, toxic lead paint, and other destructive materials were dumped in the woods of a local community of Ramapough-Lenape Indians. This location is located on the northern end of Ringwood where a small yet active tribe of Ramapough Indians live. This dumping of toxic waste has left a severe and harmful mark on this section of town and is something that many residents still face consequences from.

What one would see on the surface as they drove down the main road is a much different and fake story than what lies beneath the houses, roads, and nature that consume the neighbors, family, and friends. The toxic paint sludge seeps into the soil below and has caused many residents much suffering. Who would do such a thing? Ford Motor Company—the car and truck brand that everyone knows about—is trying to cover up and diminish an “incident” that cannot be simply pushed aside. The Superfund site in an old iron mining area of Ringwood has only been scratched at—there are still parts of the neighborhood that need to be cleaned up. Ford has made a significant effort to clean up another dump area in Torne Valley in Hillburn, New York—just a few miles away from Ringwood—but they have yet to complete the cleanup in the Upper Ringwood neighborhood.

Many people (especially residents of the towns) do not care to get involved in the efforts of creating a solution to the contamination Ford has caused. After listening to a presentation by Chuck Stead, a major activist in the effort to get Ford and New York state and local officials to take action in cleaning up the pollution in Torne Valley, you’d realize just how twisted this issue is. It shouldn’t be complicated to run a successful cleanup of toxic pollution in one of North Jersey’s most beautiful locations, yet it is. It’s not difficult to hear and sense the passion Stead has for this issue, and if there were more people like him in charge of these cleanup projects, the town of Ringwood and the Ramapough Indians may not have had to face as much hardship still.

As a Ringwood resident, I have known about the Ford Superfund site for quite some time, but never fully understand what it was about and the fact that it still is a major issue for the people that live in and near it, as well as the effort that is currently going on to help solve these environmental issues. I believe the most valuable lesson that can be learned from hearing someone like Stead speak is to understand that when you know about an issue going on in your community, particularly an environmental one, don’t simply sit back and watch it happen. Get involved, talk to people who understand it, and see how you can help. Sometimes you don’t have to go very far to make positive change. In fact, change can be made just a few miles away from your own home.

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