U.S. Reps. Albio Sires (D-8) and Bill Pascrell (D-9) are calling on New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe to address the health concerns associated with the Keegan Landfill in Kearny.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“To address our constituents’ numerous concerns, we request your staff brief our offices about the state’s plan for addressing issues at the Keegan Landfill in Kearny,” Sires and Pascrell wrote in a letter to McCabe today.
” … Public health must be the top priority for the future of the Keegan Landfill. To that end we hope the DEP is coordinating closely with the New Jersey Department of Health to address all public health concerns. We look forward to our offices being briefed about the actions DEP is taking to remove health hazards and noxious odors at the Keegan Landfill in Kearny.”
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which owns the site, was fined on March 1st due to a violation of the federal Air Pollution Control Act.
This law prohibits the emission of hydrogen sulfide in concentration levels greater than 30 parts per billion over a 30 minute-period. Since NJSEA was fined, hydrogen sulfide levels above 30 parts per billion have persisted at Keegan Landfill.
This has drawn sharp criticism from Kearny Mayor Al Santos, who led a huge march and protest at the dumping ground last month.
He specifically called on Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to shut the landfill down, which Santos said earns the state $25 million a year in revenue.
The next meeting of the NJSEA is on May 16th.
