Gottheimer calls on EPA to intervene in Vernon

VERNON — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, asking the agency to conduct environmental testing on the waste pile in Vernon.
Gottheimer, along with Vernon Township Mayor Harry Shortway, was in Vernon to assess the waste pile first-hand, concluding that "this is the definition of solid waste," with a particular concern for the potential of carcinogens often found in such demolition debris.
“Dumping potentially contaminated waste next to Vernon's lakes is a threat to community," Gottheimer said. "The EPA needs to step in to help our local officials combat this before anything leaches into our water supply or causes lasting evironmental damage. Specifically, we need discrete environmental testing, which I believe is necessary to assess any chemical compounds or hazmat-level contamination. The property owner here has a well-known history. He’s been convicted of dumping waste across state lines, and has been issued a stop-work order. I am very concerned for the safety and health of the residents of Vernon.”
Shortway has said the New Jersey Department of Conservation has abandoned them. According to a Facebook post, Shortway said he, Gottheimer and their respective staffs looked at the construction and demolition debris, which he said includes hundreds of brick, pieces of asphalt, concrete, rebar, PVC and tiles. Shortway said the material is classified as Type 13C solid waste.
A full landfill Class C permit from the DEP to accept mixed construction demolition debris is required.
Also, Shortway said mature deciduous trees in the pile were either dead or dying. Water was seen running from the pile into the wetlands about 50 feet away from the mass of dirt and debris.
"Large vertical ruts indicating erosion were clearly apparent along the slope of the pile leading down toward the weltands," Shortway said. "This potentially environmental disaster is in the Highlands Region."
Gottheimer's letter to the EPA said the problem isn't limited to just Vernon Township and he is aware of other cases of illegal dumping in his district. He asked the EPA to advise the state DEP on what contaminants to look for, the methodology that should be used when testing debris and methods for imporving the transparency of the testing process for the public's benefit.