Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- The Dover Township Council has asked Gov. McGreevey and the state Department of Environmental Protection to force Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. to remove more than 30,000 drums from a permitted landfill on its Route 37 West property.
The council last night adopted a resolution supporting the drum removal, reiterating the position taken by the Township Committee last year. Council members said they believe now is the time to remove the waste drums from the Ciba property.
About 30,000 drums of waste are being removed from an unlined landfill on the Ciba property as part of an ongoing cleanup operation being overseen by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. But an additional 30,000 drums of waste that were dumped in a lined landfill at the Ciba site are to remain on the property after the cleanup is finished.
"I think we should do everything in our power to force the removal of those drums," said Councilman Michael J. Fiure, who proposed placing the drum-removal resolution on last night's agenda.
Fiure and other council members said they believe leaving any drums on the site is inviting an environmental disaster.
"I believe that we have this obligation to the residents and children of this community to make sure this site is cleaned up," said Ward 2 Councilman Brian Kubiel.
Environmental activists have argued for years all the drums should be removed. Last year, the township committee filed suit against Ciba, attempting to intervene in the ongoing cleanup and force the removal of all drums from the property. The township claims the DEP's own documents indicate the landfill's liner is leaking or has the potential to leak.
DEP said they have no evidence the landfill is leaking. Ciba officials admitted some hazardous materials were dumped in the landfill, which was initially intended for use only for non-hazardous material.
The lawsuit also seeks payment from Ciba for loss of property values in township-owned Winding River Park, which is located adjacent to the Ciba site.
Council members last night also unanimously supported continuing the litigation against Ciba. Mayor Paul C. Brush, who campaigned last year on a platform that included removing all drums from the Ciba site, said last night that is still his position.
But Brush stopped short of endorsing the continuation of the lawsuit, saying he is awaiting a recommendation from a lawsuit-review team he appointed last year to assist with the transition to a new form of government here.
"I reiterate my absolute support and insistence on the removal of those drums in that cell," Brush said. ". . .I don't disagree with the intent of the removal of the drums in that litigation." He said, however, he is not sure he agrees with the environmental-damage portion of the litigation.
"I'm not trying to take an adversarial position on that," Brush said. He said he expects a report from the lawsuit-review team within a week and will present the information to Council President Gregory P. McGuckin. He said the full council should receive a report within two weeks.
Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/28/04
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