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Negligent Local Officials Portrayed As Aggressive Law Enforcers

Blatant PR Stunt Just Days Before Local Election

This could be one of the most outrageous examples of corporate propaganda and local politics I have ever seen.

Regular readers here know that the Dupont Pompton Lakes site is highly contaminated with a toxic brew of heavy metals and organic chemicals that poison soil, groundwater, Pompton Lake sediments, fish & wildlife, and about 450 nearby homes with industrial chemicals via “vapor intrusion”.

Dupont has dragged their feet for over 30 years in failing to completely cleanup the site and compensate homeowners for destroying their health and home equity.

At the same time, local residents have become increasingly frustrated by the failure of EPA, DEP, and local officials to “crackdown” on Dupont and enforce environmental laws to require that the site cleanup is expedited.

Residents repeatedly have criticized local officials for their cozy relationship with Dupont and failure to defend their interests.

There were two former Pompton Lakes Council members who took on Dupont, Ed Meakem and Lisa Riggiola. Both were quickly dispatched by the Dupont puppets.

The failed Dupont cleanup has become a big issue in the local election, which is less than 2 weeks away. One of the candidates if the husband of former Council member Riggiola. He too is fighting Dupont.

On top of all that, local officials recently were forced to shut down an un-permitted and illegal river dredging operation, after I filed a complaint with the US EPA.

So, with all that in mind, check out this extended quote from our good friends at Dupont in today’s Bergen Record story: Crackdown begins on DuPont property in Pompton Lakes

DuPont spokesperson Terry Gooding said the company is working with the police to help protect the people and the environment.

“Protecting people and the environment is a top priority,” said Gooding. “It’s in the interest of safety that we do not want the general public entering DuPont-owned property under any condition. We ask that people respect our property boundary. There are various types of wildlife present across the property, including coyotes, venomous snakes, and bears. If someone were to get attacked and/or injured on the property, we may not be aware of it in order to provide necessary assistance.

Gooding added, “ATV and dirt bike riders potentially can have accidents on the property. These vehicles also cause irreparable harm to the wildlife habitats and remove vegetation from areas that allow erosion to occur. In order to prevent this activity, we are working with the local police departments to complete a program in which trespassers will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

First of all, the Record’s reporters and editors HAVE to know that this is a propaganda and political stunt. They can not possibly be that naive.

Protecting people and the environment is a top priority at Dupont? Are you kidding me?

People entering the property might get harmed by wildlife? How about poisoned by Dupont’s toxic mess that still hasn’t been cleaned up after 30 years.

ATV’s harm wildlife habitat? What about Dupont’s toxic mercury?

Dupont is concerned about erosion along the river? What about the illegal dredging and disposal operation the town is conducting that EPA just had shut down?

Local officials are “cracking down” on the Dupont property?

That might be the biggest absurdity and laugh of all –

I’ll close with a reader’s comment about that: