Contamination issues deserve serious consideration

In Howell, contamination appears prevalent. A resident spoke of concerns regarding farm soil contamination due to pesticides used, and the Township Council is changing the land use law to require soil testing before a developer disturbs the land.

After a rain, this contamination can drain into our water. Since the farmers disturb the land during the year, this contamination could be leeching into our drinking water for years to come.

At another council meeting, a member of the Planning Board brought forth concerns about the drainage in the parking lot of Howell High School which runs directly into the Manasquan River. He even presented the council with pictures of the unfiltered pipe where brake fluid, gas, oil, etc., can drain into the river.

The Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education will be increasing the size of the high school parking lot, but does not plan to correct this contamination into our drinking water. The mayor and council, in their "infamous" wisdom, accepts this.

At yet another meeting, a resident informed the council of testing done on the wells on Squankum-Yellowbrook Road for possible contamination. He asked the mayor and council for more information, but two weeks later they still didn’t appear to have checked into this serious matter.

Mayor Tim Konopka does not concern himself with this possible contamination in our township. More important to him is ejecting residents from meetings, publicly announcing people’s party affiliations, arguing with council members and the public, criticizing what certain people wear and discussing the enactment of a "Horse Pooper Scooper Law" because of the complaint of one citizen.

As a resident, I want to know the mayor and council considers the remediation of "all" quality of life in Howell.

Charles Chirico

Howell