BORELLI & ISLAND ELECTEDS CALL FOR RAHWAY SOIL RECYCLING SITE INVESTIGATION
Assemblyman Joseph Borelli, along with Assembly Members Nicole Malliotakis, Michael Cusick, Matthew Titone, Senators Andrew Lanza, Diane Savino, Councilmen Vincent Ignizio, Steven Matteo, and Congressman Michael Grimm, have formally requested that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigate the proposed “Rahway Arch” soil recycling project at the mouth of the Rahway River in New Jersey.
The Rahway River feeds directly into the Arthur Kill waterway on Staten Island’s west shore. The 125-acre tract of land upon which the Rahway Arch project intends to house the soil recycling operation is littered with acres-wide lagoons filled with cyanide-contaminated sludge from over 50 years of chemical dumping. Furthermore, this tract of land sits within a 100-year flood plain and was completely flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The elected officials have written a letter to Judith Enck, Regional Director of the EPA, and Venetia Lannon, Regional Director of the DEC urging them to immediately weigh in on whether or not the Rahway Arch proposal would have any environmental or health impact on Staten Island or its surrounding bodies of water.
Said Borelli, “There has been significant public and academic criticism of the proposed recycling project, over which New Jersey’s environmental agencies have issued permits. Since the Rahway River empties into the Arthur Kill and Raritan Bay, we believe it may fall under some jurisdictional oversight of the EPA and New York State DEC, and hope that those agencies will ensure that the quality of Staten Island, its coastline and its waters are maintained.”.