MANVILLE: Onderko questions Zarepath’s levee

By Mary Ellen Day, Special Writer
   Even though Richard Onderko is not on Borough Council anymore, he’s still involved in trying to solve flooding issues.
   Mr. Onderko was the first person to speak Monday night during the first council meeting in 2013.
   He talked about the levee built across the Millstone River in Franklin Township by the Zarephath Christian Church group.
   After the meeting, Mr. Onderko said he wanted to keep the governing body of Manville up to date with the latest information he said he had found on the potential flood threat the Zarephath flood levee may present to Lost Valley residents.
   ”As you are aware, I consider this a big threat to our whole town and for the residents of the Lost Valley region,” Mr. Onderko said. “I am not going to look the other way. I think it is a severe violation of what they did there, and dumping in a flood plain is against the law on the books of New Jersey.”
   He shared a photo with the mayor and council of the increased width and height of the levee wall. Mr. Onderko told borough officials he was told by a state Department of Environmental Protection representative that the levees are much higher and wider, and the dirt was contaminated.
   ”I believe the gentleman was telling me the truth,” Mr. Onderko said.
   Saying he was not a hydraulic engineer and didn’t know what the flow of water was, he said, however, that the size and placement of the flood wall to the Millstone River seemed as if it was going to push additional water into the Boesel and Lincoln Avenue areas.
   He asked the following questions of the DEP and is awaiting the answers, he said:
   • What is the status of the Zarephath flood levee project? Has it been completed? Who was the engineer on the project?
   • Why was the height of the levee increased two days before Superstorm Sandy hit? What height has the levee been approved to be at?
   Mr. Onderko said the levee is higher than the old berm, and residents have pictures to prove it.
   • Who is the engineering supervisor for Somerset County in the Division of Land Use Regulation at the DEP where letters were sent by residents, but they received no response about their concerns?
   Mr. Onderko wanted the council to ask to have that person appear at the next Raritan-Millstone Flood Commission meeting.
   • Has the DEP re-inspected this project since February of 2012? If violations were found, what was done about the violations? Is the soil that was used to build the levee contaminated?
   • Who performed the flood impact study to ensure this project has no adverse impacts to the residents of the Lost Valley section of Manville? Can residents see the study results?
   • Are all the trees that were cut down in a flood plain/flood way going to be replaced?
   ”I think the residents deserve answers to these questions,” he said.
   He added, “What are we going to do as a borough and a governing body? If this levee is allowed to stay the height that it is, and it does have an adverse impact to the borough of Manville, what are we going to do about it? I hope that you press the DEP to build one on our side and give the people of Manville some hope.”
   Mr. Onderko said after the meeting, “It seems the NJDEP has approved the project’s application, which was submitted mid-2012. Some residents and I have numerous questions concerning the project and the continued dumping of dirt, making the levee much higher.
   ”The bottom line to Manville residents is quite clear. If this new levee system is allowed to stand, we need one built on our side of the river.”
   He said, “Our borough administrator is reviewing the plans and documentation from an open public records request concerning the project. Let’s hope we get answers from the NJDEP at the flood commission meeting in late February at Franklin Township’s municipal building.”
   He also said, “And I challenged the governing body as to what they are going to do about this if we don’t get acceptable answers to our concerns. One additional inch of flood waters in Manville is totally unacceptable. It’s time for our elected officials to come to our aid and fund a levee project for Manville.”