East Brunswick’s Beaver Dam Park To Officially Open Monday

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Township will officially open its newest park on Monday, Nov. 15.

The Beaver Dam Park is located at 11 Fresh Ponds Road at a remediated Superfund site. The announcement of the park’s opening was made by Mayor Brad Cohen during the Nov. 8 Council meeting.

The superfund site dates back to the 80s and for years, many chemicals were dumped into the soil and water from nearby industry.

“Over the last 40 years, the DEP and the EPA have worked together to clean that site. And I think that when people in town have an opportunity to actually see the park, I think it just comes to the bottom line that nature always wins,” Cohen said.

“No matter how you try to destroy the property, the land, and how good a job we may try to do the clean-up, nature always wins.”

The land will be used as a "passive recreation site" - more jogging, trails etc.

The Fried Industries site is a 26-acre area located in the northwest corner of East Brunswick near the border of Milltown.

Read More: East Brunswick Is All Set To Get New Walking Trails

Fried Industries operated the site for around 25 years, manufacturing floor finishing products, aqueous detergent solutions, adhesives, and algaecides. Site facilities were also leased to other companies for manufacturing, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

In 1983, EPA hazardous wastes were improperly stored on-site, and the soil was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and arsenic.

Since then, they've been involved in the cleanup of the site. In 1990, the site was named a superfund site.

Earlier this year, Cohen met with Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to discuss returning the site.

"I think it's going to be a great addition to our park system,” Cohen said.

On Monday, an official ceremony will be held at 2 p.m., after which the site will be turned over to the Township’s Parks and Recreation Department and their advisory board.

It'll be their job Cohen said it will be the Department’s job “to determine how it's used.”

"I think it's a great tribute to exactly what the DEP and the EPA is there to do - to clean up properties and eventually return them to the public and that's what they're doing,” Cohen said. "So, I'm really thrilled about that.”

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