(Source: Ramapo College student Report – December 2014)
DEP Commissioner Martin Works Behind Scenes With Mayor To Undermine DEP Enforcement
[Intro – 12/30/14 – apparently, the links to the Ramapo Report from which the above page was taken are not working. If you would like a copy of the Report that was given to me, email me at bill_wolfe@comcast.net ]
The vast majority of professionals honor the duty to mentor students. But a tiny minority fail to meet that obligation, some even misleading and lying to them.
This note is about the latter.
A group of Ramapo College students recently prepared a Report on the Dupon toxic site in Pompton Lakes. For the record, I had no contact with these students.
In the course of their research, they interviewed residents and what they assumed were experts, including the Pompton Lakes Environmental Officer, Ed Merrill.
Merrill flat out lied to them (see above excerpt from the Ramapo Report).
Several people and former officials in Pompton Lakes have repeatedly told me that Merrill has no expertise and that his salary was – and perhaps still is – paid by Dupont.
Even though I’ve written that Pompton Lakes might be the most corrupt town in NJ, I still find Merrill’s lies, his Dupont backed salary, and his role shocking.
I had one opportunity to debate Mr. Merrill publicly. Ironically it was at Ramapo College – but he failed to show up, canceling his confirmed attendance at the last minute, see:
And while we are on the topic of corruption in Pompton Lakes – see this and this – let me mention several recent episodes that confirm that even further.
First, Mayor Cole repeatedly has downplayed not only Dupont contamination, but also the recent shutdown of an illegal dredging operation conducted by a township contractor.
Cole mentioned, at a public hearing of the Council, that she had spoken with DEP Commissioner Martin, who she claimed supported the towns “stream cleaning” program, despite the shutdown for environmentally destructive, illegal, and un-permitted work.
Additionally, according to the minutes of the Flood Advisory Board:
The mayor added that the DEP commissioner himself contacted her to confirm that NJDEP still supported our River work projects.
The Town’s Flood Advisory Board, again in open public session, bragged about the “good news” resulting from their contractor’s violations and illegal dredging operation, saying:
The good news is that the majority of the work scheduled for the Wanaque River was completed prior to the work stoppage.
And on October 23, our hack Mr. Merrill flat out lied again – this time to the Flood Advisory Board, with these false claims:
RIVER WORK UPDATE
Ed Merrill informed us work has temporarily stopped on the Wanaque River due to some complaints, accusations and miss information. The work is ninety five percent finished and will be completed when everything is worked out. Tree removal continues.
Ross Kushner at Pequannock River Coalition wrote a superb report, documenting the numerous violations by the contractor and the misleading and false statements by local officials about it. Strongly recommend you read Ross’ detailed Report.
And last, the Town’s contractor – an outfit called DMK – who violated environmental laws by his dredging, has threatened former Councilman Ed Meakem – who originally raised the concern – and Pequannock River Coalition head Ross Kushner.
These threats have been brought to the attention of Mayor Cole and Council and they have done nothing in response to this outrageous behavior by one of their agents.
Given this pattern of conduct, it is remarkable to me that Mr. Merrill keeps his job and that the residents of Pompton Lakes and the media allow their local officials to behave this way.