Oceanport rallies opposition to crematory

By KENNY WALTER
Staff Writer

OCEANPORT — Mayor Michael Mahon is urging residents to bombard state officials with messages opposing a proposed crematory.

Mahon gave the crowd of residents at the Aug. 7 Borough Council meeting contact information for calling, emailing and writing the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), New Jersey Cemetery Board and Woodbine Cemetery to reject the proposal, citing potential health and safety impacts on the residential area.

“What I’d like to do is jam their inbox,” he said. “I’d like to have every resident take the letter, copy it four times, mail it to these individuals.

“Jam the inbox, jam the mailbox, clog up the voicemail, speak loudly and clearly … to these people who are responsible for granting these permits.”

The proposal for the crematory at the Maple Avenue cemetery first became known earlier this month when cemetery owners applied for a DEP air quality permit, and Mahon was notified of the application.

Under state law, applicants must seek an air quality permit from the DEP and approval from the cemetery board for a crematory. According to the borough’s business administrator, John O. Bennett III, the local municipality has no jurisdiction.

However, Borough Attorney Scott Arnette said during the meeting that he would research all legal options the borough has to block the application or restart the notification process.

Bennett said residents surrounding the cemetery were not properly notified of the DEP application. He said the only notice was published in a newspaper that is not circulated in the borough.

“We argued that notification in a newspaper that circulates in a different county is not sufficient,” he said. “Trying to get this done under the radar is part of this opposition.

“We are continuing to push for a public hearing.”

During the meeting, several residents agreed with borough officials, citing health concerns as the reason for their opposition.

“Just because you can’t smell or see the toxins doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” resident Corey Vaughn said.

Following public comment, Mahon requested that all residents in attendance come to the microphone to state their names and announce that they object to a crematory in Oceanport. In total, 33 residents followed the mayor’s lead, along with every member of the Borough Council and borough administration.

According to Borough Engineer William White, the application includes a smokestack that would be 17 feet high and 20 inches wide. He said the machinery would operate between 30 and 73 hours per week.

The DEP recently closed a public comment period, during which only Bennett and White officially objected to the proposal. An air quality permit had not been issued as of last week.

However, White, whose home is located adjacent to the cemetery, predicted the applicant would be successful in obtaining the permit.

“Here you are going to put a stack up with emissions, but we get no notification,” he said. “I abut the property and I got no notification.” Bob Considine, DEP press officer, said in an email that the application — must meet several standards set by the department to obtain a permit. These include minimum temperature for burning, maximum thresholds of contaminants on a daily and annual basis, maintenance and record keeping.

According to Considine, some of the pollutants tracked include volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, lead and other hazardous air pollutants.

“Typically, when standard best practices are applied, the parameters of the permit are met,” he said. “However, DEP air inspectors reserve the right to do stack testing if there is any reason to believe that standards aren’t being met.”

The current proposal is the second Woodbine has made for a crematory. A 2001 proposal was eventually dropped after a state law, which was signed by Bennett in his then-role as Senate president and acting governor, was passed to give municipal councils the authority to reject such applications.

That law was amended in 2011, placing the authority to approve or reject crematory proposals with the state cemetery board.

According to Bennett, an official application to the cemetery board is likely pending the issuance of the air quality permit.

Along with the opposition from the Borough Council, administration and residents, Bennett said state Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have joined the opposition to the crematory.

During the meeting, former West Long Branch resident Thomas DeBruin suggested the borough enlist support from neighboring towns West Long Branch and Eatontown in opposing the crematory.

During the meeting, the council passed a resolution officially stating opposition to the crematory, and Mahon said the borough would continue to explore all options.

“We will oppose it with all the vigor that we could muster and continue this fight on behalf of the community,” he said. “It is not just about your backyard — it is our backyard.”

A representative of Woodbine declined to comment on the matter.