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VX protest a little late
By JEAN JONES
MAURICE RIVER TWP. -- Several residents attended last week's township committee meeting to protest the committee's support of the plan to dump effluent from treated VX nerve gas into the Delaware River, but Mayor Ron Riggins asked where they were earlier.
Riggins described how the committee had hosted the first
public informational meeting with the Army and DuPont and
adopted a resolution opposing VX disposal here in a
"knee-jerk reaction" after being requested to do
so by watermen.
Later, after reading reports by the Centers for Disease Control and the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which did not oppose the plan, a request to rescind the resolution came from the same watermen who originally requested it, and that was done.
Riggins also pointed out that Dr. Eric Powell, director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, at Bivalve, did not believe that the plan would impact the Delaware Bay fisheries
He said some newspapers gave the impression that the committee had traded or sold out in return for a boardwalk from the PSE&G wetlands enhancement project in Heislerville to Thompson's Beach.
"At no time did any representative of this township talk to anyone from the Army or DuPont ... nothing was done behind closed doors," he said.
Riggins said that the committee only hoped to position itself to work for its long-term goal of building the boardwalk, stated since 1997, if the plan came to fruition.
Some of those protesting on Thursday never attend a meeting and are unfamiliar with what has happened, he said. Riggins said the committee has received only two complaints, one from a Cape May County resident and the other from the Delaware Riverkeeper, since it rescinded the resolution of opposition. He pointed out that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection must issue a permit for DuPont to treat the effluent and DuPont has not even filed an application yet.
The mayor's remarks came in response to a presentation by Port Elizabeth resident Eldean Polhamus, who distributed to the committee printed information from the Delaware Riverkeeper on the hazards of VX and copies of several letters which have appeared in area newspapers. She said she received many phone calls in response to her own open letter, urging residents to come out to the meeting and ask the committee to reverse its decision.
Joe Piper, of Port Elizabeth, expressed concern for what VX dumping would do to recreational fishermen
"There's enough stuff going in the water as it is," he said.
Lewis Fitzgerald, also of Port Elizabeth, said what the Army says and what the Riverkeeper says are opposite and wanted to know who's right.
Nick DiNiglio, of the Heislerville Fire Company, was concerned about how rescue vehicles could get to Thompson's Beach in an emergency if there was only a boardwalk for access.
Watermen George Kumor and Scott Sheppard, who had studied the situation and asked the committee to rescind its opposition, also spoke. Kumor said the opposition from residents who never attend township committee meetings is based on a lack of knowledge.
"It's like walking into a movie half way through and you don't know what's happening," he said.
Both Kumor and Sheppard said concessions have been made to allow additional monitoring by those outside the DuPont organization that will provide more protection.
Riggins said the committee's decision has been based on science and technology and he believes a Salem County community soon will follow Maurice River's lead.