It often seems that people dismiss environmental problems because they don’t affect them directly. They’re not occurring in your back yard, or to you or to your family, so why should you be concerned? In East Brunswick, there is a proposal before the zoning board that will have the potential to impact a great many people far-removed from the actual site. The proposal I refer to is the relocation of Operating Engineers Local No. 825 from South Brunswick to East Brunswick.
If constructed, the proposed East Brunswick site has the tremendous potential to contaminate the waters of Farrington Lake. Water that runs off from the East Brunswick property will flow into Irelands Brook, and then quickly enter Farrington Lake. An undisputed history of pollution exists with the current operation in South Brunswick, and it would be reasonable to expect that a similar situation will eventually recur at the proposed site.
The waters of Farrington Lake are used for fishing, swimming, and drinking by the residents of New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Milltown and East Brunswick. Any pollution entering from the proposed site will have immediate and far-reaching consequences, both economically and health-wise, for the tens of thousands of people both immediately downstream and in the surrounding areas.
I urge you to attend the zoning board meeting on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. in the East Brunswick Municipal Building Courtroom and voice your concerns. This is one environmental issue that is not distant or esoteric; it will definitely affect you and your family.
Mark Hommer
North Brunswick