Hurricane Sandy to Shut Down State Parks

Parks to be shut down by noon on Sunday, officials say.

All state parks and historic sites are scheduled to be shut down at noon on Sunday in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. According to Martin, safety concerns are forcing the closure and those who are camping now at state facilities across the state are being advised to prepare to leave those sites by mid-day Sunday. Martin also said those with reservations for next week are advised that parks may be closed through the entire week. Persons with reservations will be called by DEP personnel to reschedule their visits to state parks. After the storm passes through the state, the parks and historic sites will be assessed and re-opened on a case-by-case …

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State, Top Soil Owner Reach Settlement Agreement

Three-year legal saga draws to a close. Owner Allan Rombough Sr. violated a court order in 2011 banning him from the site.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reached a settlement in principal Tuesday with the owner of the Top Soil Depot site and 20 trucking companies for allegedly dumping thousands of yards of contaminated fill and solid waste on the site since 2009, NorthJersey.com reported. Larry Hajna, a spokesman with the DEP could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The state had wanted Allan Rombough Sr. put in jail for his refusal to remove supposed contaminated material from the 12-axre site. The site is located on Pompton Plains Crossroad next to the Pompton River and near the Pequannock and Ramapo Rivers. Rombough signed a judicial consent order in 2008 agreeing to clean up the property, but never fully complied with it, the state…

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To The Editor: Gates Report Slams The Door In Our Faces

Local flood victim asks: Where do we go from here?

If you haven’t heard by now, a study performed by AECOM and released by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last week states that the Pompton Lakes floodgates do not impact flooding downstream.  This position, fervently held by the State of NJ and Army Corps of Engineers since 2007, is enumerated in 157 pages of exquisite detail, citing years of storm and flood data.  So the question remains, where do we go from here? Back to our flooding homes and neighborhoods, secure in the knowledge that the best the State will say is that our property is being destroyed by an “extremely wet decade?”  Should we place our faith in the 15 Point Flood Plan, which exhorts us to eliminate entire streets and subdivisions of thriving, tax …

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Residents Want A Plan of Action For Flooding

Riverview residents say they need long-term solutions to flooding, not more studies.

Some residents vehemently disagree with findings released Thursday by the state Department of Environmental Protection regarding the floodgates on the Pompton Lake dam. The findings show that the floodgates on the dam do not contribute to flooding below the dam. Joanne Mcclosky said that flooding has worsened in the Riverview section of town since the gates became operational in 2007. The gates, which are controlled by computer, are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The gates automatically open when the water behind the dam reaches a certain level. Residents said the water rushes out from behind the dam faster than it should, causing flash floods and exacerbating flooding in the neighborhood. They also say the water carries more…

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State Wrap

6 Million Gallon Oil Leak in Top State News

A weekly look at news in New Jersey

As Department of Environmental Protection officials continued to downplay health risks, and PBF Energy revised down the initial spill size estimates, environmentalists on Friday slammed both the state and company's response to more than 6 million gallons of crude oil that leaked into a containment area at the Paulsboro refinery Thursday. *** During a speech Thursday night, Newark Councilman Ras Baraka issued a call to action to his constituents and also laid out an ambitious agenda that includes having the city take over control of Newark Liberty International Airport from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. *** Four children and their grandmother perished in a raging house fire in South Plainfield early Thursday morning that …

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