Fenimore bill for Roxbury: $750,000

While the state continues its capping project at Fenimore landfill, Roxbury has spent nearly $750,000 of its own money dealing with problems at the site, which has plagued the township with toxic hydrogen sulfide fumes since late 2011.

Reports posted this week on the township website detail Fenimore-related expenses from 2012 to 2014 totaling $747,079.47.

The Fenimore problem, which came to light after the rotten-egg-odor of the gas permeated the township, also has cost the state millions of dollars. The state Department of Environmental Protection, which took over the site in June 2013 under emergency order, declined to total expenses to date, citing ongoing litigation. The department in July did announce the award of a $9.6 million capping contract to Conti Enterprises of South Plainfield.

Township Manage Christopher Raths offered some perspective on the expenses, noting the expenses were paid in the interest of public safety. At their highest — $386,032.59 for 2014 — the cost of Fenimore expenses to residents broke down to 4.4 cents per resident per day.

Over the three-year period, the accumulated Fenimore cost per resident came to $31.13.

The highest net expense over the three years was for engineering services from Maser Consulting, which add up to $307,856.73. The expense reports note requested reimbursement from DEP for these expenses was denied.

The township is continuing efforts to secure reimbursement of some expenses, including engineering services from Maser Consulting, from the state.

“We are seeking any reimbursement we can get for any expense,” Raths said.

The highest gross expense was for the operation of air monitors installed around the site by Emilcott Industries to measure the level of hydrogen sulfide emissions and provide alerts when the level reaches a point that prompts a public-alert system. That bill, which dates back to their installation in 2013, comes to $646,688.75. But with a reimbursement of $489,186.36 from DEP for that service, the net cost to the township was $157,502.39.

Other high tickets included $110,837 to Keller and Kirkpatrick in 2012 for an access road design and $80,040 for legal expenses ($71,080 in 2014). Another $61,965 was spent in 2014 for traffic control after Conti began trucking in fill and soil for the cap.

DEP spokesperson Larry Ragonese said the capping project is nearly complete and trucks continue to roll into the site, bringing in soil for a spring planting over the cap. A new, larger oxidizer also is expected to be brought in some time in February to replace the existing system.

Meanwhile, the Roxbury Environmental Action Coalition, a citizen group that has pushed for removal of the materials on the site suspected to be producing the gas, continues to criticize township and DEP officials for neglecting to issue hydrogen sulfide alerts.

“According to their environmental action plan protocols, Roxbury township will issue alerts to residents when 60-minute averages of (hydrogen sulfide) exceed 100 (parts per billion), but the township has neglected to alert residents to the very high readings.

DEP spokesperson Larry Ragonese said a recent reading of 12,000 ppb — which did not result in an alert — was determined to be a false reading.

“Obviously a malfunction,:” he said. “If there was really a reading of 12,000 ppb, people would have been extremely ill.”

Ragonese said DEP maintains that no verified emission spikes have occurred at the site since at least early last year. REACT members dispute that assertion.

“I have asked what their protocols were to assess that the hydrogen sulfide is or isn’t coming from the site, handheld meter readings, etc.” said REACT member Bill Morrocco, a chemical engineer. “I have also asked the township for documentation received that convinced them that each spike occurrence didn’t warrant an alert. They have sent me nothing and have not responded to multiple inquiries.”

Ragonese said township police and workers at Fenimore are contacted about every reading above the alert threshold to investigate.

“We don’t want to be racing people to respite centers for no reason,” he said.

“In waiting to ‘check with the professionals,’ they are delaying what could be a life-threatening situation to residents, especially residents close to the Fenimore Landfill, and opening up the township to potential lawsuits and damages,” REACT president Bob Schultz said. “Relying on the NJDEP, who caused this entire mess in the first place, to determine if gas has escaped from the site is not a smart idea. They are trying to protect their image, sweep this entire project under the rug and claim their are the heroes in this disaster.”

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.