Local Groups Complain About Emissions

A local environmental group claims emissions from a controversial soil-processing unit is posing serious health threats to residents and workers near the plant.

Greg Miller, of the Coalition for Clean Air and Water, said that the group is frustrated with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which seems oblivious to complaints about Mid-Atlantic Recycling Technologies Inc.

"They are letting these people operate with a free hand," Miller said. "We feel like we are being strung along by the DEP."

MART, which is located in the city's industrial park, came into the spotlight in January 2002 when the local Health Department responded to residents' complaints of smells coming from the plant.

City officials later filed a suit against the company, accusing it of violating several environmental statutes, emitting odors and posing possible environmental hazards.

MART responded by filing a $20 million countersuit against the city, saying the city was selectively enforcing environmental laws.

Later in the year, DEP fined the company $250,000 for pollution, but things still haven't changed much, Miller said.

Miller said foul odor, dust and other emissions from the plant often disrupt neighboring businesses.

"We have complaints of headaches, nausea, throat burn," he said. "There is a

serious problem that needs to be rectified."

The biggest concerns Miller said are the heaps of contaminated soil kept outside the facility. He said runoffs from the property have been seen in a nearby stream.

Miller said his group was also worried about findings of a test conducted by

city officials on processed soil from the plant.

George Sartorio from the city Health Office confirmed that the city found higher levels of arsenic on samples taken from a site on Old Mill Road.

"We did the test back in November and sent the results to the DEP for their validation," Sartorio said. "The arsenic level found was above the nonresidential cleanup standard."

DEP spokeswoman Amy Cradic said the department is conducting investigations to ascertain if arsenic is present in the material processed by MART.

Cradic, however, said the city did not conduct the tests according to DEP protocol.

"There are certain methods to be followed and those were not followed by the city," Cradic said.

Cradic said the DEP has been closely working with MART and monitoring their operations on a regular basis.

According to Cradic the last confirmed odor complaint from the plant was on March 29. Between Jan. 2 and March 30, she said, there were six complaints, out of which one was confirmed, one invalidated and five are pending investigations by the County Health Department.

MART President Brian Horne said it's ludicrous to think that there is arsenic in the processed material.

Horne said he wasn't aware of the tests conducted by the city. "That's news to me," he said. "I have not received anything from the city of Vineland as it relates to this information. As far as I am concerned, this information is based on rumors and innuendos."

Horne said the plant conducts regular tests on its materials by "multiple third-party laboratory units approved by the DEP".

"The DEP also inspects our facility weekly," he said.

Horne said that the contaminated material does not pose a health threat as it is contained in a liner.

"We are fully in agreement with the DEP," he said. "We spend $2,400 a day on testing."

The March 29 odor complaint, according to Horne, was because his employees were cleaning the storm sewer drain system.

"The DEP inspector failed to fully investigate the source of the odors," he said. "They had nothing to do with MART's daily operations."

Miller, however, is not convinced. He said his organization is launching a petition drive with their concerns and they are planning to lobby state and federal lawmakers.

"We want to make MART compliant with local and state health codes," he said. "We also want them to store the contaminated soil in an indoor facility." Press of Atlantic City (New Jersey)