Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- Democratic Dover Township Council candidates are strongly supporting a plan by state Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell to seek payment from Ciba Specialty Chemicals for groundwater pollution caused by the former Ciba-Geigy Corp.
Campbell announced last week that he believes Ciba Specialty, which owns the Superfund site off Route 37 West, should pay for groundwater pollution caused by Ciba-Geigy's decades of dye-manufacturing at the site. Ciba Specialty Chemicals is the successor corporation to Ciba-Geigy.
The Democrats, who have raised concerns about a Republican-backed plan to use $15 million in state funds to buy up to 750 acres of uncontaminated Ciba property, said they believe Campbell's approach is more sound.
"Pursuing a natural-resources damages action seems logical when you analyze the facts, to pay Ciba-Geigy anything after what they have done would be a horrendous mistake," said Jeanine Feaman, a Democrat who is seeking a council seat in Ward 4.
Feaman is running against Republican Gregory P. McGuckin and independent Carol A. Benson in the race for a council seat representing Ward 4, which includes the downtown area and West Dover.
Neil Floor, a Democratic candidate seeking an at large council seat, said he hopes Republicans will "reconsider their unconscionable proposal. We need to do what is right for Dover Township."
Republican mayoral candidate John F. Russo Jr. and his "Dover First" GOP team has backed a proposal to seek the $15 million in state funding to purchase the Ciba land, even though Campbell and Gov. McGreevey have said they will not release the money.
Sen. John O. Bennett III, R-Monmouth, as acting governor signed a bill in January 2002 authorizing the use of $15 million in state Green Acres funds to buy uncontaminated Ciba property. The controversial legislation had been introduced by 10th District Assemblymen David W. Wolfe and James W. Holzapfel Jr. and state Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, all R-Ocean.
After McGreevey became governor, he and Campbell said they did not believe that spending $15 million to purchase Ciba land was a good use for the funding and the money was never given to Dover or Ocean County.
Last week, Campbell said he believes Ciba might be able to donate some of its land as a way of paying for the natural resources damage the company has caused.
On Monday, Dover filed suit against Ciba, claiming the company should compensate the township for the diminished property values Ciba's groundwater contamination caused at nearby Winding River Park.
The township's suit also seeks to force state and federal environmental officials to close a legal landfill on the Ciba site and remove more than 35,000 drums of waste that are buried there. Dover claims that state Department of Environmental Protection documents indicate the landfill may be leaking hazardous materials into the ground.
Published in the Asbury Park Press 10/08/03
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