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LAWRENCE: DEP approves plan to clean up Pit Stop

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A remedial work plan for the former Pit Stop service station at 1175 Lawrence Road, prepared by the Louis Berger Group Inc., has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
    The DEP’s approval paves the way for the Morristown-based company to oversee the remedial investigation phase of the cleanup project. The DEP will pay the company $250,000 for its work, which constitutes the second of five phases of the project, according to Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun.
    A starting date has not been set, Mr. Krawczun said.
    Under the remedial investigation phase, the contractor will confirm the extent of contamination on the site and identify the geological and hydrological conditions. It will be determined whether groundwater or surface water has been affected.
    “Once they identify the extent of the problem, the contractor will prepare a list of options for remediation,” Mr. Krawczun said. A plan would be drawn up that identifies how the site would actually be cleaned up. The final step is the actual cleanup.
    Meanwhile, Brett Smith, president of the Greater Eldridge Park Neighborhood Association, said he was pleased that the Pit Stop service station is one step closer to being cleaned up. The property is on Lawrence Road, near the Lawrence Road Fire Co. and The Church of St. Ann’s.
    “I think we played a catalyst role (in the cleanup effort),” Mr. Smith said. “People were concerned and they began pulling together. GEPNA provides a voice for the community. I’m very happy that we are seeing the necessary steps that need to be taken.”
    Neighborhood residents have asked township officials to do something about the property for several years. The gas station operations at the site ended in 1997, but an automotive repair shop continued until 2003 when the property was abandoned.
    Former property owner Alfred Ciarlone and the present owner, 1175 Lawrence Road LLC, each had been ordered to take steps for an environmental cleanup, but neither one complied with the DEP’s request. The present owner acquired the property in 2005.
    The property was turned over to the DEP’s Publicly Funded Element in 2008. That allows the DEP to study the property and clean it up. Because the identity of the owner is known, the DEP will seek reimbursement from 1175 Lawrence Road LLC.