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BY ROB WILLIAMS AND JEFFERY C. MAYS
Star-Ledger Staff Co.
At first, members of the Bloomfield Third Riverbank Newark Exhibit
Association weren't sure what the chunks of glass littering a portion of the former Scientific Glass site were. contaminated site is being cleaned to make way for a new 124-unit condominium development. But Bob Spiegel, the executive director of the Edison Wetlands Association who is examining the site at the group's request, immediately identified the objects as pieces of broken thermometers, some with mercury still in them. He says the contaminated area covered about an acre."What has happened to this point has been a limited intervention and the illusion of a cleanup," Spiegel said.
The Third Riverbank Association says the discovery of the mercury-contaminated soil 2 1/2 weeks ago proves that the site is unfit for condominiums. But the state Department of Environmental Protection says the discovery is not new, and town officials say it shouldn't stand in the way of the development.
The Third Riverbank Association has been fighting for two years to stop two separate projects that would see some 180 condos built on about 18 acres. The broken thermometers were discovered on land to be developed by Bloomfield-based Leo Realty.
Opponents argue that the project will worsen flooding, increase crowding and overburden the schools. Instead of condos, the groups want the land to be preserved as open space and become part of a greenway to connect all the town's natural and historical elements.
Bloomfield Mayor Ray McCarthy said he's satisfied that any contamination will be cleaned before housing is built on the site.
DEP spokesman Fred Mumford confirmed the presence of broken thermometers and mercury identified by the association and said the agency issued field directives last week to remove the hazardous materials.
Mumford said workers have started complying with the directive, which also mandated a fence surrounding the property be repaired to keep people from driving in and children from playing on the site.
"They have since come in and removed a vast majority of surface debris," Mumford said. "They had fencing repairs and 24-hour security on the premises."
Mumford said the Third Riverbank's discovery was probably due to excavation and remediation. When a contaminated area is discovered, the soil is sometimes moved to another area until it can be removed from the site.
Third Riverbank Association members say they've seen glass on the site for more than two years now.
The site has had several removals of mercury in the past decade, involving broken glass and other materials. Further testing of a debris pile and groundwater will take place before the department conducts a final site review, Mumford said.
"They need to do additional soil and groundwater sampling," Mumford said. "There is an area in the debris pile from the former building that may contain mercury. The groundwater is still being investigated."
But Nick Joanow, a member of the Third Riverbank Association, said there has been a refusal to acknowledge the mercury. Riverbank Association members, when told of the state DEP response, said it's the first time they've heard the agency admit there was mercury on the site.
After reporting their findings, the members say they felt they were being indirectly accused of planting the broken thermometers. But Aleksandrs Stein, 79, worked at Scientific Glass as a calibrator for 29 years and identified the thermometers as the kind the plant produced. "We made them," he said.
Joanow said he's also concerned because the area is being cleaned via a voluntary remediation plan under which the property owner pays for testing and submits regular reports through an environmental remediation firm to the DEP. The DEP then advises land owners about the technical aspects and the various state and federal standards that must be followed.
Joanow said that he, environmental expert Spiegel and several members of the group walked onto the property without any trouble and spotted evidence that kids had been hanging out at the site.
Mayor McCarthy said that when he went to the site with five police officers, he found two kids on the property and ordered them removed. McCarthy said he saw glass but nothing that he could identify as broken thermometers.
Gregory Leo of Leo Realty could not be reached for comment yesterday. McCarthy said he's satisfied that Leo is willing to go beyond state requirements to make sure the site is clean before anything is built there.
"I'm confident that before construction, there will be no mercury on the site," he said.
Spiegel, who has testified before the U.S. Senate about Superfund cleanup sites, said he believes that the DEP needs to take a more active role in ensuring a proper cleanup.
The presence of the broken thermometers at surface level is usually a sign that there is more contamination below the soil, he said. To have broken thermometers lying about while the public has unfettered access is unacceptable, Spiegel said.
"We want a complete re-evaluation of the investigation at this point," Spiegel said. "We want the DEP to undertake the investigation themselves."
Mumford, of the DEP, said remediation has been slow in the past but that site officials appear to be committed to a more expedient process.
"Overall, we support the reuse of a contaminated site. This has not been a fast-paced cleanup and has resulted in a lengthy process," Mumford said. "They appear to be willing to move that process along at a quicker pace, and we intend to help them."
The condominium project will be discussed and possibly approved at the planning board's Sept. 10 meeting.
Rob Williams covers Bloomfield, Belleville and Nutley. He can be reached at rwilliams@starledger.com or (973) 392-5731.
Copyright 2002 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.