Deadline to Submit Public Comment is Sept. 5
Senator Joseph Lagana, Assemblywoman Lisa Swain and Assemblyman Chris Tully (D-Bergen/Passaic) are encouraging residents in the 38th district to provide public comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on how they have been affected by contaminated groundwater at the Westmoreland Well Field in Fair Lawn.
Last week, the legislators sent a letter to the EPA asking for additional remedies remediating the contaminated groundwater at the Westmoreland Well Field to help ease the burden on taxpayers in District 38.
“I, along with my Assembly colleagues, am happy that the EPA is moving forward with finally cleaning contaminated groundwater in Fair Lawn. Clean water and an unpolluted environment are human rights that every person should enjoy,” said Lagana. “The EPA has provided a small window for public comment, so I would encourage anyone who has questions or concerns to voice them. We need to make sure that projects like these are able to benefit everyone.”
The Westmoreland Well Field contains harmful contaminants including carcinogens 1, 4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS, as well as PCE, benzene, and chloroform.
“The contaminants of the groundwater at the Westmoreland Well Field pose long term health risks for the residents of Fair Lawn and our district as a whole,” said Swain. “Completing the remediation of this well field as quickly as possible is our highest priority. With the help of our constituents, we will be able to convey how vital it is for us to work with the EPA to get this issue resolved.”
“While we support the EPA’s final decision, we’d like to ask the EPA to fully consider all alternatives in determining the best course of action for the welfare of Fair Lawn residents,” said Tully. “By hearing from them as well as residents throughout our district, we hope to show the importance of creating a healthier environment for our constituents by cleaning up the well field in the most thorough way possible.”
The EPA has set a public comment deadline of September 5, 2018. Comments can be submitted to Michael Zeolla, Remedial Project Manager at the EPA either by mail: Michael Zeolla, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA, 290 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: zeolla.michael@epa.gov.