2016 / Q2 News Briefs

Residents share their thoughts at public meeting in March.
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JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 1, 2016 – A public meeting will enable residents and other interested parties to speak with the experts in connection with PPG’s chromium cleanups.

The meeting will be conducted Tuesday, June 14, at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Representatives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the City of Jersey City; the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency; PPG; the independent, court-appointed site administrator; and the independent technical consultant will be available to answer questions.

No preregistration is required.


Ron Riccio addresses public meeting at the Bethune Center.
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JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 5, 2016 – As many as 50 residents and interested parties attended a public meeting to meet the new site administrator for PPG’s chromium cleanups in Hudson County.

Jersey City native Ron Riccio, whose appointment as site administrator began Jan. 4, opened the March 29 meeting at the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center with a review of his responsibilities and priorities. In addition, he provided an update on the status of the cleanups.

During the question-and-answer session, audience members expressed concern about health and safety at Berry Lane Park, a new municipal park scheduled to open later this year. Two PPG cleanup sites were among the 11 properties acquired by the city to build the park. Using funds provided by PPG, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency remediated the chromium-impacted material in accordance with NJDEP standards and replaced it with clean fill. The chromium cleanup was conducted in conjunction with JCRA’s cleanup of other contaminants.

Berry Lane Park has been “completely remediated to NJDEP’s most stringent standards” for chromium, Riccio told the audience.

When asked if he would permit his five grandchildren to play in Berry Lane Park, Riccio said, “Absolutely.”

As the meeting concluded, Riccio announced that he intends to convene another public meeting at a date to be determined.

Dean Emeritus of the Seton Hall University School of Law, Riccio succeeded Mike McCabe, who had served as site administrator since a June 2009 judicial consent order was entered by New Jersey Superior Court establishing a process under which NJDEP, the City of Jersey City and PPG are to address the company’s chromium cleanup sites.