Letters

I Don’t Get it. [If] our Township Council can’t pay the principle on our current bonds, why are we proposing to go out and borrow another $9.2 million? I thought elected officials were supposed to save money for the average taxpayer, not increase the debt that we can’t already pay. Why are we going to to spend extra legal fees and time trying the MUA [Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority] chairman in public when the prosecutor’s office has rendered a decision on this matter?

What are we saving by doing this? I thought it was a council’s job to save the public money, not waste more and not offer a long term solution to the problem. Why aren’t we looking into a study on the MUA like one independent and one former candidate for mayor have suggested?

I would like to hear all the money we are going to save by having this hearing.

I haven’t heard a positive idea or solution yet from the party that is pushing this matter so far.

I think this money would be better spent on looking into a study on how to make MUA directly accountable to the public and our republicans haven’t given this matter a fair chance. I would like to hear some positive responses in this matter instead of the negative we have gotten so far.

George Frame

Brick

Group urges action to address landfill concerns

Alliance for a Living Ocean (ALO) would like to express its support and praise Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell’s recent stand against Ciba Geigy. At issue is the subject of the 30,000 drums held in a lined landfill known as Cell 1 on the Ciba Geigy site in Toms River. Ciba Geigy has fought against removing the drums in spite of the wishes of the surrounding community and various environmental organizations.

Recently, Commissioner Campbell sent a letter to Ciba Geigy stating his concerns about threats to the environment and public health should the landfill remain on site.

The fact that samples of leachate from Cell 1 were found to contain the presence of such chemicals as toluene chlorobenzene, ethylbenzyne, benzene and xylene, all known or suspected carcinogens, certainly supports his concerns. Also of great concern is the fact that the levels of these chemicals have increased in concentration between the samplings done in 2003 and 2004.

Recently a state appellate court panel ruled that the state courts, not just the federal courts, have jurisdiction over this matter. Commissioner Campbell has warned Ciba that the PVC liner of the landfill is nearing its life expectancy of effectiveness. If Ciba does not remove the drums from the lined landfill, the state may consider filing a lawsuit to force them to remove the drums.

ALO has urged Commissioner Campbell to stand firm on his position. ALO was part of the group of environmental organizations that banded together back in the late ’80’s to force Ciba Geigy to shut down and implement superior level of treatment for the tremendous water supply they contaminated with their toxic waste dumping. We continued to monitor the progression of the Ciba cleanup through the years, and a representative of our organization attended almost every one of the meetings held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The subject of the lined landfill was a topic of discussion on more than one occasion. In the summer of 2002, ALO wrote to Ciba Geigy urging them to remove the drums from that site for fear of future leakage through the liner that would potentially contaminate the land and water. Ciba officials ignored our pleas to remove the drums. Now they may no longer be able to ignore us.

ALO suggests you write to Commissioner Campbell at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, P.O. Box 402, Trenton 08625, and thank him for his efforts. This matter has now been referred to the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives, B-376 RHOB, Washington, DC 20515. We urge you to write to this committee and express your concerns about this matter.

Joseph LaBella,

President, Board of Trustees

Larrell Brown,

Issues Chairperson

Alliance for a Living Ocean

Long Beach Island

Brick residents need honest leadership

Like many Brick Township residents, I saw the impressive full color glossy campaign literature promoting Mayoral Candidate Steve Acropolis. It took me a while to realize that the point of this touching pictorial timeline was an attempt to soften the character image of Mr. Acropolis, who is well known for his arrogant and often verbally aggressive behavior. You only need to watch a few minutes of any televised council meeting to see that for yourself. Stung with recreation program fees being increased 300 percent and the cuts in the HalloweenFest and Easter Egg Hunt, I wrote my first ever letter to the local paper last fall criticizing him for taking away programs that my four children and I have enjoyed in past years. After my letter appeared, he surprisingly called me and wanted to know who had put me up to writing the letter. Apparently, as a stay at home mom, I couldn’t understand his platform of “a balanced budget at all cost.” As someone who has never been politically active, I was shocked to learn that I wasn’t alone. You see, to me and many other young families, quality of life exists beyond fiscal decisions. That’s why I was surprised to see that within his campaign literature he claims to fight for “greater recreational opportunities for our seniors and youth.” I was also confused by his literature claims to end “shady back room deals” and to end the “cloud of corruption over the current administration.”

For someone who took the time to print a campaign ad with 18 photographs of himself to show how he is rooted in Brick Township, it’s surprising that Mr. Acropolis wants to hire out of town people at Brick taxpayer expense.

Brick residents need action, not arrogance. Brick residents need cooperation, not false allegations of corruption. Brick residents need leadership, not lip service. Brick residents need Mayor Scarpelli, not Steve Acropolis. Mayor Scarpelli, I thank God you are back in the race.

Stacy Lubrecht

Brick