TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River officials were surprised today after the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced they have negotiated a settlement with BASF, the current owner of the Ciba Geigy superfund site.
Toms River officials asked the state to not allow BASF to develop 250 acres of the superfund site that has been blamed for a decades-long cancer cluster after residents were exposed to pollutants from the former chemical dye manufacturing facility.
Instead, BASF will be allowed to build on 200 acres of land at the site, including residential homes, commercial space, and warehouses.
Today, Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill said his office was not involved or consulted during the settlement process.
Councilman Dan Rodrick said the state should preserve the entire property and create a new wildlife management area and also criticized the state’s decision.
Rodrick and Hill, opponents for years, will be present at Thursday’s meeting with Save Barnegat Bay in town hall.
“The Natural Resource Damage settlement negotiated behind closed doors without input from Toms River Township or the other towns impacted by the Ciba-Giegy travesty is woefully inadequate and does not come close to justly compensating the community for the damage done to our environment,” he said.
Save Barnegat Bay, an organization seeking to preserve the land and recoup compensation for the township, victims and the environmental cleanup, said the deal the state made with the company falls short of being acceptable.
“The DEP needs to stop and not sign this deal. Not only did we lose family and friends but we lost the use of our natural resources. We will fight for a better outcome for Toms River and the surrounding community. The Jersey Shore will not be written off on some corporate ledger. We intend to properly identify the injury and get a seat at the table to negotiate a better settlement agreement. After consulting with our expert team, we now know that the true damage assessment far exceeds the paltry offer of $500,000 to the DEP and donating back polluted land under the guise of a conservation easement,” said Britta Forsberg, Executive Director for Save Barnegat Bay.
The meeting will be held at 6:30-8:30 PM at the Hirshblond Meeting Room in Town Hall.