Thanks to conscientious citizens living in Springfield Township that contacted the Rahway River Association, we caught Springfield Township DPW personnel red-handed dumping asphalt millings at Meisel Park, a unit of the Union County Park system.  RRA Executive Director Dennis Miranda observed and photographed the illegal activity. After some investigation, a total of three illegal dumps were found in three different sections of Union County parkland.  I a meeting with Springfield Township Administrator Edward Fanning regarding the dumps, he repeatedly denied that there were three dumps and a flat refusal to discuss the issue further. Later, we would learn that Union County Parks, NJDEP Green Acres Program and the NJDEP Solid Waste Enforcement Division were one told of one site

The incident violates a variety of laws and regulations from illegal dumping to causing natural resource damages. Subsequently, the Rahway River Association contacted the NJDEP Solid Waste Enforcement Division, NJ Green Acres Program and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.  A series of investigations are underway to determine how the asphalt is to be removed and the natural resources restored.

RRA Executive Director had praise for the local citizens. “It takes moral courage to stand up to institutions of government who willfully break the law. The flagrant disregard for the law by Springfield Township is clear with their intentions to dump in parkland which may result in further contamination of soils and more pollution of the Rahway River, the sole potable water source for the citizens of the City of Rahway.” Even worse, they misled the NJDEP into believing that there was only one dump site until the RRA informed the authorities.

The Rahway River Association will monitor the situation until the Township of Springfield removes the asphalt millings completely and restores the riparian corridor to the Villas Tract and Meisel Park.

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