Source: http://exa.gmnews.com, August 6, 2014
By: Taylor M. Lier
Arsenic-impacted sediment is being removed from within several segments of an unnamed tributary to Crosswicks Creek.
According to a land use notice Upper Freehold Township received from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the removal of material will be done at two locations at the Wrege Farm Burn Area on Polhemustown Road.
The excavated area will be replaced with clean fill to the existing grades, according to the land use notice.
The remediation project on the property will result in the temporary impact of 615 square feet of wetlands, 1,445 square feet of wetlands buffer and 1,420 square feet of riparian zone vegetation, according to a land use notice from the township.
Several entities contacted by the Examiner could not say specifically what entity is paying for the cleanup or how much it will cost.
The Wrege Farm Burn Area was previously part of the former Princeton Nurseries, according to Karen Livingstone, a spokeswoman with the Monmouth County Park System.
The current owner of the property is Crosswick Farms Inc., according to Township Administrator/CFO Dianne Kelly.
Kelly said she did not have contact information for the property owner.
A representative of Crosswick Farms Inc. could not be reached for comment.
The notice pertaining to the removal of the soil is a combination of two types of land use permits, according to DEP public information officer Larry Hajna.
“The permits will allow for the dredging of a tiny unnamed stream on the property, which spans to approximately a 100-foot stretch that was contaminated,” Hajna said.
Hajna identified Gary Nickerson as the project manager. Nickerson could not be reached for comment on the remediation process.
Many years ago, the Wrege Farm Burn Area was vacated by farmers who used arsenic as a pesticide for their crops, according to Hajna.
In other business, the Township Committee has appointed a new municipal assessor.
Following the retirement of municipal assessor J. Stephen Walters, the vacant position was posted and advertised, according to a resolution that was passed by the committee on July 10.
Kelly and the committee members reviewed the applications from potential candidates. Officials determined that Donna Taylor held all the necessary certifications for the position of municipal assessor.
Taylor was appointed to the position for a four-year term, which began July 1 and will end June 30, 2018.
The position of municipal assessor is considered a full-time position, with its duties being performed on the municipal premises except where necessary to attend tax appeal hearings, perform inspections and attend conferences. The salary for the municipal assessor position is $44,200 per year.
According to the resolution, Taylor will continue to perform her usual functions in the Finance Department, with those hours to be approved by the township administrator.
The salary for the administrative assistant to the finance office portion was established $15,800 per year, according to the resolution.