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| 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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