Frank DelCore
This past week, I announced that the federal mercury stockpile, which has been stored at the DLA Depot (adjacent to the VA Depot, along Route 206), has begun its removal to the Hawthorne Army Base in Nevada, with the shipment of the first 32 truckloads out of Hillsborough in late August. The remaining mercury is expected to be removed within the next several months. Many doubted that the mercury would ever leave Hillsborough, but I could not have been more pleased to announce that the removal process is at last underway.
The removal of the mercury has been a top priority of the Township Committee for many years, and represents the realization of long-awaited goal for the residents of Hillsborough. Even though the decision to move the mercury to Nevada was made at the federal level several years ago, a number of obstacles were presented by the Nevada DEP regarding the safe handling and long-term storage of the mercury once it arrived in Nevada, and they needed to be overcome. As a result of the on-going dialogue with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), we were able to participate in the ultimately successful process to work through those issues in a cooperative manner.
As I indicated on the day we made the announcement, I have always believed that more can be achieved through a thoughtful and cooperative process than through grandstanding and pronouncements. In this situation, a confrontational approach by the parties in favor of removal would have led to a federal court lawsuit (filed by Nevada) that would have taken many, many years to be resolved. Instead, we entered into, and persisted with, a process that has ultimately proved to be the successful approach for Hillsborough.
I am very proud of this accomplishment because of the cooperation and the hard work done by a number of officials at various levels of government. I, along with the Township Committee, had been in very close contact and dialogue with Congressman Leonard Lance’s office, as well with as the DLA, to monitor the progress being made with Hawthorne and the Nevada DEP. I attended a very fruitful and productive meeting in the Congressman’s Washington, D.C., office with DLA officials in January of this year, which laid the final groundwork for resolution. The support and leadership of Congressman Lance was vital to make the mercury removal a reality; on behalf of Hillsborough, I would like to thank him very much for his invaluable assistance.
Three years ago, one of my campaign pledges was to "preserve the quality of life" in our Township. I believe that getting the mercury out of Hillsborough and sent to a military base in the Western desert wilderness, where it belongs, is a delivery on that promise.
The writer is the Republican candidate for the Township Committee.
