By Amanda Daley
Months after Hurricane Irene lashed the East Coast last August, the Ramapo River still is suffering from the storm. In December, the Town of Ramapo requested aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with the clean up of piles of broken trees and other debris. FEMA and the Rockland County Drainage Agency went out and looked at the damage and decided that it qualified for aid, according to lohud.com.
While Hurricane Irene was in full force a dam broke in Arden, which sent gallons of water down stream, closing the New York Thruway, and further flooding the Ramapo River, Geoff Welch, the Ramapo Watershed Keeper, said in a talk at Ramapo College last week In the midst of the flooding there was a pedestrian bridge that was damaged and has been closed until further notice. The bridge is located in Arden and is high up on the list for repairs. This clean up will not only clean up the debris from the storm, but also help prevent any future flooding, according to the county drainage agency.
Currently there are 48 sites in Rockland County that still require clean up along the Ramapo River. The estimated cost for clean up is around $78,000. Around $58,000 of that will be reimbursed by FEMA. Danny Clapp Landscaping said that clean up would take about two weeks.
For more information:
www.lohud.com/article/20120213/NEWS03/302130074/Irene-s-damage-lingers-Rockland-tackles-fallen-trees-debris-along-Ramapo-River-other-sites-await
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
DuPont Pollution Still a Problem in Passaic County Town
By Molly Rothberg
POMPTON LAKES -– It’s been 24 years plus since DuPont has been cleaning up a toxic mess, and many residents are convinced that the rises in illnesses in their community are due to the DuPont pollution. Residents who live above a toxic groundwater plume are being asked by the state to take a health survey, with information that will hopefully add to the general health image that the state has been trying to view for quite some time.
A recent article in The Record, “DuPont Mess Lingers in Pompton Lakes,” stated a list of studies that were produced by New Jersey regarding the Pompton Lakes residents.
“Cancer hospitalizations, emergency room visits for nervous system diseases, mortality, cancer, birth defects, low birth weight, premature birth rates and elevated lead levels in children. Female residents who lived above the contaminated groundwater experienced a significantly higher rate of kidney cancer and male residents a significantly higher rate of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than other people in the state. The ER visits and cancer hospitalizations for the Pompton Lakes group topped rates for the state and six surrounding towns,” the article noted.
The DuPont Pompton Lakes Works (PLW), a now-closed manufacturing site located in the boroughs of Pompton Lakes and Wanaque, covers a little more than 570 acres. During the PLW’s plant’s operations, which included making armaments in World Wars I and II, the company produced blasting caps and explosives over a 92-year period. Many chemicals were produced during the manufacturing process which eventually caused them to spill onto the grounds and in groundwater of residential areas of Pompton Lakes.
In the 1990’s, DuPont instituted a ground-water monitoring program in which they routinely sample and report the results for on-site and off-site facilities. At the plant site, a pump and treat system was operated to filter about eight million gallons per month of likely contaminated water.
An investigation into the groundwater pollution was done by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, sub-slab vapor samples were collected from the soil beneath homes in the local community and eventually both the NJDEP and EPA told DuPont to conduct an indoor air sampling and install a vapor mitigation system at no cost for the homeowners.
Residents remain upset with the lingering process, and DuPont continues to contribute various efforts to the local community. In order to preserve the history of the borough of Pompton Lakes, DuPont contributed a federal grant fund. Additionally, DuPont supports the business improvement and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. They continue to contribute to the community by paying $500,000 per year in local taxes.
POMPTON LAKES -– It’s been 24 years plus since DuPont has been cleaning up a toxic mess, and many residents are convinced that the rises in illnesses in their community are due to the DuPont pollution. Residents who live above a toxic groundwater plume are being asked by the state to take a health survey, with information that will hopefully add to the general health image that the state has been trying to view for quite some time.
A recent article in The Record, “DuPont Mess Lingers in Pompton Lakes,” stated a list of studies that were produced by New Jersey regarding the Pompton Lakes residents.
“Cancer hospitalizations, emergency room visits for nervous system diseases, mortality, cancer, birth defects, low birth weight, premature birth rates and elevated lead levels in children. Female residents who lived above the contaminated groundwater experienced a significantly higher rate of kidney cancer and male residents a significantly higher rate of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than other people in the state. The ER visits and cancer hospitalizations for the Pompton Lakes group topped rates for the state and six surrounding towns,” the article noted.
The DuPont Pompton Lakes Works (PLW), a now-closed manufacturing site located in the boroughs of Pompton Lakes and Wanaque, covers a little more than 570 acres. During the PLW’s plant’s operations, which included making armaments in World Wars I and II, the company produced blasting caps and explosives over a 92-year period. Many chemicals were produced during the manufacturing process which eventually caused them to spill onto the grounds and in groundwater of residential areas of Pompton Lakes.
In the 1990’s, DuPont instituted a ground-water monitoring program in which they routinely sample and report the results for on-site and off-site facilities. At the plant site, a pump and treat system was operated to filter about eight million gallons per month of likely contaminated water.
An investigation into the groundwater pollution was done by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, sub-slab vapor samples were collected from the soil beneath homes in the local community and eventually both the NJDEP and EPA told DuPont to conduct an indoor air sampling and install a vapor mitigation system at no cost for the homeowners.
Residents remain upset with the lingering process, and DuPont continues to contribute various efforts to the local community. In order to preserve the history of the borough of Pompton Lakes, DuPont contributed a federal grant fund. Additionally, DuPont supports the business improvement and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. They continue to contribute to the community by paying $500,000 per year in local taxes.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Ramapo River Continues to Recover from Hurricane Irene
By Molly Rothberg
Immediately after Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast hard near the end of August last year, residents in New York began to express concern about an oil smell coming from the Ramapo River. The oil spill became a huge threat to local residents, especially because the river is a major drinking water source for thousands of people.
The river, which is about 30 miles long, runs through southern New York and northern New Jersey, including Mahwah near the Ramapo College campus. A local oil company in Tuxedo Park, NY, M. Spiegel & Sons Oil Corporation (SOS), was linked to the spill when the company’s trucks and fuel oil tanks became flooded after Irene and became submerged near the river.
In an article in The New York Times, SOS’s owner, Jeff Spiegel, explained the reason for the spill. "This leakage into the river, he said, occurred when a breach in an upstream dam sent a wall of water into his area," the Times reported.
Spiegel said he was not sure how much oil had made it into the river. The Times reported that SOS “is working with state environmental and hazardous waste teams to contain the situation.”
The leakage cleanup was then followed through by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which included using vacuums to clean the water. Ever since the fuel oil cleanup after Irene, residents have been able to drink the water from the river without any concern, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Although it’s been nearly six months since the tropical storm, other debris that it created, including piles of trees and trash, is still in the clean-up process led by the Rockland County, NY Drainage Agency. Sites near Rockland County are still in recovery considering they sustained the most damage from the Ramapo River that flows into major areas of the county.
Immediately after Hurricane Irene hit the East Coast hard near the end of August last year, residents in New York began to express concern about an oil smell coming from the Ramapo River. The oil spill became a huge threat to local residents, especially because the river is a major drinking water source for thousands of people.
The river, which is about 30 miles long, runs through southern New York and northern New Jersey, including Mahwah near the Ramapo College campus. A local oil company in Tuxedo Park, NY, M. Spiegel & Sons Oil Corporation (SOS), was linked to the spill when the company’s trucks and fuel oil tanks became flooded after Irene and became submerged near the river.
In an article in The New York Times, SOS’s owner, Jeff Spiegel, explained the reason for the spill. "This leakage into the river, he said, occurred when a breach in an upstream dam sent a wall of water into his area," the Times reported.
Spiegel said he was not sure how much oil had made it into the river. The Times reported that SOS “is working with state environmental and hazardous waste teams to contain the situation.”
The leakage cleanup was then followed through by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which included using vacuums to clean the water. Ever since the fuel oil cleanup after Irene, residents have been able to drink the water from the river without any concern, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Although it’s been nearly six months since the tropical storm, other debris that it created, including piles of trees and trash, is still in the clean-up process led by the Rockland County, NY Drainage Agency. Sites near Rockland County are still in recovery considering they sustained the most damage from the Ramapo River that flows into major areas of the county.
Lessons from the Ramapo River
By Richard Fetzer
Taking environmental education outdoors, Ramapo College faculty is co-sponsoring Ramapo River Day with a fishing club. The event, planned for June 9, is open to school groups, scout troops and youth groups.
According to Mark Czerwinski in an article in The Record, this event is aimed to teach students in fourth grade through high school about the things that live and grow in the Ramapo River watershed.
“They’ll discuss what makes a healthy environment and what you can do to protect it,” notes Czerwinski. “You’ll catch and identify bugs that live in the river, do water chemistry experiments, and learn about non-point source pollution and botany from college instructors.”
The Ramapo River flows from far beyond the N.J. and N.Y. border to the north, runs along route 202, and ends in Pompton Lake. It is difficult to determine how contaminated the water may be, but according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, a lot of it is caused by urbanization, suburban and commercial development that increases storm water runoff. They also say contamination is caused by municipal and residential wastewater discharge. Educating the young about this issue will shed further light on the problem.
“It’s sick how contaminated that water might be,” says Ramapo student Carrie Lenahan, 21. “It is about time that the college decides to do something to help the situation. I mean we share a name with this river and everything.”
On top of learning about the environment, participants in the Ramapo River Day also get to learn how to fly-fish. “But it’s not all work and no play,” says Czerwinski in his article. “The Trout Unlimited crew will teach fly-casting and demonstrate fly-tying techniques.”
The Ramapo River Day is a free event, but space is limited so there is advanced registration required.
“This seems like a great opportunity for children and young adults to learn about the environment,” says Lenahan. “I do not have kids, but I will advice my aunts and uncles to let my younger cousins participate. It is never too early to learn about conservation. Plus, the fly-fishing sounds like a lot of fun.”
It seems like there are not many cons to the possible experience, but so many pros.
“Your youngster gets to learn science from college teachers and fly-fishing from experts who know the Ramapo River like their back yard,” says Czerwinski. “All in all, not a bad combination.”
Taking environmental education outdoors, Ramapo College faculty is co-sponsoring Ramapo River Day with a fishing club. The event, planned for June 9, is open to school groups, scout troops and youth groups.
According to Mark Czerwinski in an article in The Record, this event is aimed to teach students in fourth grade through high school about the things that live and grow in the Ramapo River watershed.
“They’ll discuss what makes a healthy environment and what you can do to protect it,” notes Czerwinski. “You’ll catch and identify bugs that live in the river, do water chemistry experiments, and learn about non-point source pollution and botany from college instructors.”
The Ramapo River flows from far beyond the N.J. and N.Y. border to the north, runs along route 202, and ends in Pompton Lake. It is difficult to determine how contaminated the water may be, but according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, a lot of it is caused by urbanization, suburban and commercial development that increases storm water runoff. They also say contamination is caused by municipal and residential wastewater discharge. Educating the young about this issue will shed further light on the problem.
“It’s sick how contaminated that water might be,” says Ramapo student Carrie Lenahan, 21. “It is about time that the college decides to do something to help the situation. I mean we share a name with this river and everything.”
On top of learning about the environment, participants in the Ramapo River Day also get to learn how to fly-fish. “But it’s not all work and no play,” says Czerwinski in his article. “The Trout Unlimited crew will teach fly-casting and demonstrate fly-tying techniques.”
The Ramapo River Day is a free event, but space is limited so there is advanced registration required.
“This seems like a great opportunity for children and young adults to learn about the environment,” says Lenahan. “I do not have kids, but I will advice my aunts and uncles to let my younger cousins participate. It is never too early to learn about conservation. Plus, the fly-fishing sounds like a lot of fun.”
It seems like there are not many cons to the possible experience, but so many pros.
“Your youngster gets to learn science from college teachers and fly-fishing from experts who know the Ramapo River like their back yard,” says Czerwinski. “All in all, not a bad combination.”
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Toxic Legacy: Where's the Priority?
By Victoria Ahlers
We discussed a lot in class about the “Toxic Legacy” report on the industrial contamination in the community of Ringwood. It is shocking, yet at the same time not surprising to me that after all the clean-up effort that went into getting rid of the paint sludge that the site was still toxic. What surprises me even more is that it was taken off the Superfund list, having not been completely, 100 percent cleaned up. "Toxic Legacy" was able to bring the situation back to the attention of officials; however, from what we discussed in class it seems that the situation is still being over looked by state and government officials.
One thing that is difficult to understand is how this situation is not being made a priority by the state and EPA officials. Not only does it have negative effects on the environment, and ecosystems in the area that has paint sludge, but it is also causing a number of serious health issues for the residents who live in the area. Why isn’t something of this nature being made a larger priority? The area where the paint sludge is most abundant is not the most wealthy and developed of areas in northern New Jersey; however that is no reason why it should be overlooked. The people of this community have been struggling to get more clean-up and removal of the waste for a number of years now.
"Toxic Legacy" was a great project and a great way to get other people informed on the real situation of the paint sludge, and how it was affecting the people of the community. According to a magazine article we read called “Toxic Living,” because of the newspaper project, further investigation of the dump sites took place and more than 14,000 tons of sludge and tainted soil were removed by Ford in 2005 (that was more than was removed in all the previous years of cleaning). It just goes to show that persistency and thorough investigation are key elements in accomplishing something like this. The reporters involved in the “Toxic Legacy” project consistently asked questions in regards to documents, files, and interviews having to do with the clean-up (or lack thereof at the time). As a result of the project, further clean-up of the site was done and the situation can no longer be swept under the rug.
We discussed a lot in class about the “Toxic Legacy” report on the industrial contamination in the community of Ringwood. It is shocking, yet at the same time not surprising to me that after all the clean-up effort that went into getting rid of the paint sludge that the site was still toxic. What surprises me even more is that it was taken off the Superfund list, having not been completely, 100 percent cleaned up. "Toxic Legacy" was able to bring the situation back to the attention of officials; however, from what we discussed in class it seems that the situation is still being over looked by state and government officials.
One thing that is difficult to understand is how this situation is not being made a priority by the state and EPA officials. Not only does it have negative effects on the environment, and ecosystems in the area that has paint sludge, but it is also causing a number of serious health issues for the residents who live in the area. Why isn’t something of this nature being made a larger priority? The area where the paint sludge is most abundant is not the most wealthy and developed of areas in northern New Jersey; however that is no reason why it should be overlooked. The people of this community have been struggling to get more clean-up and removal of the waste for a number of years now.
"Toxic Legacy" was a great project and a great way to get other people informed on the real situation of the paint sludge, and how it was affecting the people of the community. According to a magazine article we read called “Toxic Living,” because of the newspaper project, further investigation of the dump sites took place and more than 14,000 tons of sludge and tainted soil were removed by Ford in 2005 (that was more than was removed in all the previous years of cleaning). It just goes to show that persistency and thorough investigation are key elements in accomplishing something like this. The reporters involved in the “Toxic Legacy” project consistently asked questions in regards to documents, files, and interviews having to do with the clean-up (or lack thereof at the time). As a result of the project, further clean-up of the site was done and the situation can no longer be swept under the rug.
Letter to the Editor: Let's Act on Sustainable Living
Dear Editor,
I would like to express my concern about global climate change and sustainability issues. It has come to my attention that the way we are treating our planet has a direct impact on the weather patterns we have been witnessing in the past several years. Extreme storm surges such as hurricane Irene this past August caused a series of flooding throughout northern New Jersey, and damaged many boardwalks along the coast. Last winter, we saw substantial snow fall throughout the months of January and February, with temperatures below freezing; however this winter, the total accumulation of snow is less than 10 inches, and temperatures have rarely been colder than 30 degrees. These are just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head as to why global climate change is a big concern of mine. I believe that we should take action in living a more sustainable life style, in an attempt to “un do” some of the damage we have already done, and prevent it from getting worse as the years pass.
In my opinion, one person cannot (and should not) do everything, but everyone has to do something. If a community decided to enact some sort of sustainability law, that citizens would have to abide by, it would help. If a town had mandatory, or even voluntary litter pick up at least once a month, it would help. If the use of reusable water bottles was encouraged, as opposed to drinking out of plastic ones, it would help. Every little thing somebody does to live a more sustainable lifestyle would help the global climate change situation we as the human race have put ourselves in. We can’t change what damage we have already done, but we can work to better the situation, and prevent it from getting any worse.
Sincerely,
Victoria Ahlers
I would like to express my concern about global climate change and sustainability issues. It has come to my attention that the way we are treating our planet has a direct impact on the weather patterns we have been witnessing in the past several years. Extreme storm surges such as hurricane Irene this past August caused a series of flooding throughout northern New Jersey, and damaged many boardwalks along the coast. Last winter, we saw substantial snow fall throughout the months of January and February, with temperatures below freezing; however this winter, the total accumulation of snow is less than 10 inches, and temperatures have rarely been colder than 30 degrees. These are just a few examples I can think of off the top of my head as to why global climate change is a big concern of mine. I believe that we should take action in living a more sustainable life style, in an attempt to “un do” some of the damage we have already done, and prevent it from getting worse as the years pass.
In my opinion, one person cannot (and should not) do everything, but everyone has to do something. If a community decided to enact some sort of sustainability law, that citizens would have to abide by, it would help. If a town had mandatory, or even voluntary litter pick up at least once a month, it would help. If the use of reusable water bottles was encouraged, as opposed to drinking out of plastic ones, it would help. Every little thing somebody does to live a more sustainable lifestyle would help the global climate change situation we as the human race have put ourselves in. We can’t change what damage we have already done, but we can work to better the situation, and prevent it from getting any worse.
Sincerely,
Victoria Ahlers
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Letter to the Editor: Fix America First
To the Editor:
I recently read James Gerken’s article on Global Climate Change in the Huffington Post. After reading the article, I have to completely agree with what Samantha Smith, head of the WWF Climate and Energy Initiative, said about focusing on our country first. Our country is known for going to the aid of other countries, and that is totally fine, but we forget to help our people first. I think that in our fight against global warming, though developing countries are more prone to climate change, we need to make results happen here in the United States first. Once we figure out how we can fight global warming we can then pass this information onto other countries. American citizens should be the top priority of America, not the people of other countries.
Cutting back on black carbon emissions, methane gasses, as well as other fossil fuels would be a great start. But we don’t know how fast it will work. Things like this don’t just happen overnight, it takes time. These emissions need to be cut.
Gerken’s article also said that the Department of State claims it will decrease deaths by 2030 and avoid the annual loss of crops by 30 million tons. I think that at this point they cannot guarantee any of this. Most of us have been exposed to these fossil fuels for many years, and like DDT, it may not kill us immediately but it may one day in the future. Maybe for a younger generation this change can happen, but as of right now, I don’t see this as something that is probable.
I think that this is all a good start to the fight against global warming, but I think that the changes that are going to be made aren’t going to have that great of an impact on our environment. More needs to be done.
Sincerely,
Amanda Daley
In response to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/global-climate-change-deal-co2_n_1282235.html
I recently read James Gerken’s article on Global Climate Change in the Huffington Post. After reading the article, I have to completely agree with what Samantha Smith, head of the WWF Climate and Energy Initiative, said about focusing on our country first. Our country is known for going to the aid of other countries, and that is totally fine, but we forget to help our people first. I think that in our fight against global warming, though developing countries are more prone to climate change, we need to make results happen here in the United States first. Once we figure out how we can fight global warming we can then pass this information onto other countries. American citizens should be the top priority of America, not the people of other countries.
Cutting back on black carbon emissions, methane gasses, as well as other fossil fuels would be a great start. But we don’t know how fast it will work. Things like this don’t just happen overnight, it takes time. These emissions need to be cut.
Gerken’s article also said that the Department of State claims it will decrease deaths by 2030 and avoid the annual loss of crops by 30 million tons. I think that at this point they cannot guarantee any of this. Most of us have been exposed to these fossil fuels for many years, and like DDT, it may not kill us immediately but it may one day in the future. Maybe for a younger generation this change can happen, but as of right now, I don’t see this as something that is probable.
I think that this is all a good start to the fight against global warming, but I think that the changes that are going to be made aren’t going to have that great of an impact on our environment. More needs to be done.
Sincerely,
Amanda Daley
In response to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/global-climate-change-deal-co2_n_1282235.html
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