DEP Reports
“The New Jersey DEP has inspected the site multiple times “since receiving the July 26 report on the possible increased contamination to soil and water surrounding the McConnell tract, Councilman James Murphy said this week. He indicated the agency has deemed it safe to continue construction.
Murphy, a councilman running for the mayoral seat in the November election, was joined by fellow candidates Ellen O’Dwyer and Vinnie Whitehead in urging the borough to take immediate action responding to the claims of increased soil and water contamination surrounding the Denholtz construction site on the waterfront property off Ave D and Center Avenue.
The councilman said he has spoken with concerned residents as well as Administrator Rob Ferragina regarding the environmental issues and knows that in addition to the NJ DEP inspections, the Monmouth County Health Department also toured the site, and both deemed it safe for redevelopment operations to continue.
However, the press release from AH Strong said, “With recent reports from Atlantic Highlands residents of odor, visible soil and water contamination, there are concerns that the stability of the site has changed.’ However, the release pointed out, the two agencies have declared it safe to proceed.
This site originally was deemed an active soil remediation site with measurable ground water contamination. It is currently in year 5 of a 50-year monitoring plan in agreement with the DEP which will continue to monitor the site.
The AH Strong team is calling for the documentation of the NJ DEP and Monmouth County Health Departments investigations and findings to be publicly published.
“Concerned citizens should be apprised of these test results as they compare to earlier monitoring reports,” the AH Strong team said, urging the municipality to “be diligent in its oversight of this redevelopment project to prevent and mitigate such threats” along with assurance it will take appropriate and immediate corrective action should any occur.
