Barnegat Woman Calls For Soil Testing on Tanner's Pit Property
Denise Pilovsky has been a resident of the township for 21 years and questions if a rare liver disease her daughters share is caused by contaminated soil.
Denise Pilovsky has been a Barnegat resident for 21 years. She’s concerned about the welfare of her daughters and her community, and the township committee is listening.
Pilovsky went before the committee at its meeting Monday night, June 4, to discuss the soil in the area known as the “Tanner’s Pit Property,” an area that previously contained a landfill and a solid waste recycling factory, according to a report to the Barnegat Planning Board from Peter Van Den Kooy, P.P., AICP, dated May 22, 2012. The subject of the report was the Gunning River Road Area in Need of Redevelopment Investigative Study.
She was concerned there might be problems with the soil, and questioned a possible connection to a rare liver disease shared by her two daughters, who are 21 and 17 years old, respectively.
“The township will inquire about that and request samples be taken of the groundwater and soil,” Barnegat Mayor Alfonso Cirulli said. “ … When she said she had children with a rare liver disease, that was enough for me and the rest of the members of the committee to spend $700 or $800 to do the samples. We’re going to move on that.”
According to the report, Tanner’s Pit Property has a history of violations for operating a Solid Waste Facility without a permit, as well as storing demolition waste and recycling areas without the necessary approvals from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
According to the report, which Pilovsky shared with members of the committee and the media, the Tanner’s Pit Property was hit with penalties for violating the Sanitary Landfill Facility Closure and Contingency Fund Act, the Solid Waste Management Act, and other related NJDEP regulations relating to inspections conducted between July 1, 1992 and July 6, 1996.
From October of 1994 to July of 1998, Tanner’s Pit was penalized for failure to comply with groundwater sampling and reporting requirements contained within the New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit issued to allow the discharge of leachate to groundwater, according to the report. Violations continued through March of 2004. The areas to the northeast, east and south of Tanner’s Pit were developed for residential use, the study says.
The study concludes that many hazards exist on the site, including large piles of debris and potentially contaminated soils; that a number of illegal activities have taken place, such as illegal dumping, trespassing and vandalism; and that there is a significant danger to the safety, health and welfare of the community.
The study recommended that the Gunning River Road Area be declared an Area in Need of Redevelopment.
Tanner’s Pit is 69 acres, is located northeast of Lillian M. Dunfee Elementary School on Gunning River Road, and has been part of Barnegat for at least 35 years.
“I believe they dumped concrete and some other things in there, but I don’t think it was ever supposed to be a toxic waste site,” Cirulli said.
According to Cirulli, Pilovsky is the first person to raise this question before township committee.
“I’ve lived in Barnegat for 21 years, and I have two girls with a rare liver disease,” Pilovsky said. “Could the soil be the problem?”
Ray
8:57 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Why wasn't the owner of the property required to clean it up? There are also 3 boarded up housesn on Gunning River Rd. Why does the Building Dept. alow this to continue. 2 have been in that condition for 10 years.
Jo C
10:20 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Hopefully they will clean that area up ASAP. That site will make for a wonderful park type atmosphere. There is a organization in the area that would love to have access to that site and develope it into a one of a kind hobby park. The organization is involved with radio controlled model airplanes and will covert the area into a working air park for the public to enjoy and learn more about model airplanes. They will teach the kids of Barnegat and surrounding areas all about model aviation and teach them how to build and fly thier creations. It is a great hobby in desperate need for property such as this. The organizations goal is to build and maintain a piece of land such as this and make it into a place where the youth of Barnegat can go have have a great time. Just imagine flying your model under a safe and controlled enviorment. The youth today are heavily absorb into video games. This will bring that video game to life as you fly your model. It will create a sense of accomplishment not only for the kids but for the members of the club as well. I hope this not fall on deaf ears. I thinkh it will be wonderful for all involved.
Please contact me if anyone is at all interested.
Hopefully this message will be read by the powers that be and show a interest in what I am saying.
Mac
1:31 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
While I appreciate your spirit regarding this hobby park, don't you think airstrips for local kamikaze enthusiasts would be better situated in the western part of the township? It's a more open area with fewer nuke plants, government buildings, schools, homes, shopping centers, drug stores and Wawas that the general population usually prefers to be free of objects flying slightly overhead. However, if you're confident that this activity can be controlled well enough to be safe within the community, perhaps a better location would be the township ballfield we built in that one senior community. Since this ballfield gets very limited use as is, two or three days a week as an airstrip could be an ideal diversification of taxpayer-funded community activities for our youth, with little to no additional cost involved. We could even change the name of the ballfield (does it have a name?) in the spirit of community sharing to the Barnegat May-December Air-Ball Park. “The Baby Angels will be taking off from the 20-yard line in …”
Drivingtoofar
10:51 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
They will probably build more housing or low income housing, which is just what Barnegat needs more of...Perhaps that is a requirement of Big Lots; x amount of low income primary demographic housing in the market area
josh
1:26 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
wen frank was alive he would let u dump anything u wanted for a price im suprised its taken this long for something to be done its prob gonna be a superfund site with wat they find most is real deep he excavated fill dirt way too much then filled it in with old demolished houses who knowes wats there
get out of jersey asap
1:55 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The idea that it will be turned into a model airplane park is an awesome idea.
@ Mac: model airplanes wont damage the nuclear plant. As far as the homes, what about homes on a golf course.
Mac
2:41 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
golf course! excellent landing strips! the flags are even in place already. go for it! as for nuke plant, innocence can be bliss too.
Jo C
10:34 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
In respose to MAC. That sight is perfectly situated for model aviation. Kamikaze enthusiasts, come on now. It is nothing like that at all. Model aviation has come a long way with the newer technology in use today. If you are interested come down to Coyle Field and see what we do. Our door is always open for public view and interest. We do NOT fly over pbulic areas. We create our flight pattern in such a way to avoid any chance of interferring with the public in general. We do not just show up and put the planes in the air. We have strick rules and regulations that we all must go by. NO ACCEPTIONS. The site will also have to be approved by our national organization know as the Academy Of Model Aeronautics. Visit their website to better understand the hobby at http://www.modelaircraft.org
Flying at Coyle Field is great and we are greatful for the use of thier land, but holding events out there is impossible.
The events we can hold at Tanners Pit will be awsome. We use to do static events for the Kids with Autism. These kids loved our planes. To think we can actually hold flying events for these kids will be amazing. Tanners Pit has Model Aviation written all over it. If you or anyone else reading this can point me in the right direction to gain use of this area, please let me know. My email is P51D@verizon.net
Mac
9:37 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Jo, your heart is definitely in the right place and your support and vision for this activity are commendable. I understand that Tanner's Pit is both an ideal size to entertain a model aviation club and strict rules and regulations are enforced. And to be candid with you, it's a hobby I can see myself enjoying from time to time, which leads me to the basic reason I oppose this location for these activities. When I am enjoying myself, there are times I can get a bit, let's say, mischievous, especially when the activity becomes routine and begs for more personal excitement. At such moments, the interpretation of rules can quickly become more liberal and the penalties for breaking them less intimidating. Add a cohort to the mix and you can end up with kamikaze blitzes or mid-air collisions raining over the airfield and/or the surrounding communities. Someone with more sinister thoughts would be able to create havoc within the community in only a few moments. Unless Homeland Security has leadership more in-line with the DEP leadership than even I believe, I can’t imagine them allowing an airstrip of any kind to be built in a location with so many soft targets when there are so many other options available in the area (even if they appear or are less ideal.) Regardless, I wish you a lot of success in bringing this activity to fruition in the Barnegat area, especially if it creates more uses for the township’s underused ‘West Barnegat’ investments.
Leroy Souveroff
3:17 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The area of the Blue Claw developement off of Hilside Ave. was also an illegal dump site up until about 2000. The soil testing there was not properly done. There is a fifty foot wide by 1000 foot "do not disturb" area in back of some of the homes. People have noticed paritially buried things like car engines, car seats, oil cans, plastic barrels in this area. Who knows what else is buried back there, Why didn't Barnegate require that this area be cleaned and replanted by the developer? I think they are still holding bond money from the second developer, Silverwood Associates. Some agency should at least come and do soil samples now, not only to inform residents, but to avoid future lawsuits.
mandy
4:26 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Hi Denise! While I understand your concerns, the builder of Town & Country Estates, ((Willowtree Ct. & 3 homes on the East side of Gunning River Rd.), Frank Severino (d/b/a Bunker Hill Homes, Red Bank NJ) was able to provide prospective buyers with reports regarding 'Tanner's Pit' (still active @ that time-1996),& then Tanner went bankrupt, & an Environmental Co. was contracted by (?) ( I think the sign is still there) to go in & clean up the piles of concrete, phone poles, landscraping debris, etc. The reports provided to us (prior to purchasing in Town & Country Estates) by Barnegat Township did not reflect any hazards at all to humans, nor the environment. It was a HUGE excavation project by the Company hired to clean this area after Tanner's bankruptcy (now called 'Elephant's Grave by the kids!) & it was reported that no Hazmat materials were found then either.
mandy
4:26 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Continued- Almost 100% of the children that live on Willowtree Ct. were conceived on, & brought home to, Willowtree Ct. With the exclusion of parental error, there have been NO issues of prenatal nor postnatal ill-effects of any children that reside here, or have moved elsewhere, due to enviromental factors. I absolutely understand that you're looking for answers, especially as a Mom myself, but living even closer to the'Pits' than you, I don't think that's your answer....however, Barnegat needs to take a good, hard look @ what they have allowed to go on (perhaps with eyes averted) & BE CONCERNED about their citizens, not constanly have the $$$rake$$$ out. By the way, did anyone else hear that Retro Fitness is NOT coming here...name just being used as a draw for other potential tenants to that site????
Bionic Bill
6:19 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I grew up in Settlers Landing in the mid 70's to mid 80's an was chased out of Tanner's pit many times as a kid. Anything and everything was dumped there, old boats, building debris, cars always had the smell of old gas, oil, hydraulic fluid. We use to climb down into the pit it was very deep then. Funny when it filled up it would mysteriously catch on fire then it would fill up again... Sometimes dirt would be dumped in there. I steer people away from buying around that mess, hope they take deep bore samples!
nyexpat
5:48 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
mandy, who do you work for?
deathpenaltyforcopkillers
4:55 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
If I remember correctly, there was a major fire in Tanner's Pit back in late 90's and they sent the DEP in there to do tests to determine if any of the emergency responders were exposed to any toxic plumes and the tests were negative.
Mac
5:26 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
DEP - Responsible leadership - Christie Whitman - Integrity - WTC - The tests were negative - No Sale
mandy
5:30 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I was here in the late 90's...no fires that I know of....there was a fire on Gunning River Rd,. just South of the then non-existent Funeral Home...no fires in the woods. And,just an afterthought, I am totally opposed to the Cherry St./Hannah Lee development nonsense' which also would border on this 'tainted' property, (Wildlife-Ryan Homes chased them from Seurat St & Rockrimmon so we just got the Deer to move back HERE! C'mon, it's supposed to be kinda rural here!). Barnegat Township 'government', seriously? Keep your expansion in 'WEST BARNEGAT', Ocean Acres, oh yeah, where Retro Fitness was supposed to be, (are there permits submitted?) Tell me Retro Fitness IS going to be built in Barnegat, I have substantial, though hearsay, intel that it ain't happening (there goes our rateables)
Jo C
10:07 am on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Mac,
While I respect your comments, I must say you are way off base. Your use of the term SOFT TARGETS, MID AIR COLLISIONS RAINING DOWN ON THE COMMUNITY??????? I have no idea what you are talking about. These are model airplanes NOT UNMANNED DRONES. As far as the rules go, they are strickly enforced, no second chance or sorry it wont happen again. I strongly suggest you visit us at Coyle field on a weekend and experience what we do before you assume the things you mention. Model Aviation is SAFE and CONTROLLED. NO EXCEPTIONS. No one can fly alone. Every pilot must have a spotter alongside them when flying.
Anyway this is my last post on this matter. While I appreciate your comments, I must say you are way off base with your assumptions. I suggest more research into the hobby before you make anymore unfounded statements.
PS.. It was not my intention to get off topic from the original story line. My thoughts and Prayers go out to the PILOSKY FAMILY. I hope and pray you find the aswers you are looking for.
Mac
8:15 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Off base? Perhaps. It’s my favorite position. Do I know much about the rules of model plane aviation? Obviously not. Maybe that is why I previously assumed it seemed like so much fun. Do I know how much a potential terrorist/average wiseguy would appreciate having the resourcefulness of such a conveniently located model airstrip? Oh yeah. For one, it doesn't take much to convert a model flying machine to fly a few hundred more feet to accomplish an objective. Somehow dropping little packages of appreciation in the yards and lives of those who raise taxes comes immediately to mind. Way off base? I think not. It’s been my experience in life to recognize those that choose not to follow the rules most likely aren’t going to lose much sleep over the hardline no-exception-no-second-chance rules regardless of your position that they are insurmountable. Unfounded comments? I think not again. You’d have a better shot at converting the pit to an ATV park than selling Barnegat residents on having more planes flying overhead, directly or nearby, whether real, drone, or model. I hope the Township can help you establish your airstrip, as your cause has merit, but in a more responsible setting than in the middle of a bedroom community.
Capt Jacobsen Mey
10:24 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
A bedroom community with gangs, drunks and druggies. Take a drive around the area, take a good look at what is walking around. LOL!!
Now the subject content has moved into a terrorist conspiracy, like some goons will all the sudden flock to Barnegat to create and fly "loaded" R/C planes for attack purposes. Hahahahaha! Some of you could write a script for Hollywood with he outlandish thoughts posted here - based off of a few indidividusls who posted a good use for the VACANT land.
Here is what will happen - Barnegat will say they have done the sampling, the report will show its good and then eventually, they will sell the land to a Developer and more homes will be built right over top of the old landfill. It will be dusted under the carpet, as Barnegat is good at doing that.
Oh, the delapidated green house with the roof falling in on the corner of rte 9 and gunning river - that must be a great selling point for the new Ryan Homes. Ahahaha!!
Bob Wise
11:39 am on Friday, June 8, 2012
Capt I would suggest that you "take a good look at what is walking around." Beautiful children and their families. If you stay on topic you would see that this story is about the health of two children. Instead of the same old negative stuff, why don't you demand that the committee gets to the bottom of this and find out what is really in the ground. As a town we should all come together for each other, because this could effect many children in the future. Best of health to the Pilovsky's.
Nicole
10:55 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
I am sorry but despite the beliefs of many older people here in Barnegat, not all of us teenagers are at home playing video games, and we are certainly not playing with model airplanes. Having a "hobby park" just seems like one more thing that the older people can enjoy while the kids do not have much; including an indecent softball field. Project Playground seemed such a great idea as well, but now it is used by kids, my age and younger for mischievous acts of disgrace. Fly your model airplane in your backyard, not mine thank you.