Ridgewood Will Clean Up Asbestos Found At Historic Site Next Week

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — During the town of Ridgewood's ongoing cleanup at the 1825 Zabriske-Schedler farm — where they hope to build athletic fields — workers recently found toxic asbestos, officials said this week.

A letter sent on Wednesday by Town Manager Keith Kazmark to residents in the area of the Zabriske-Schedler House said, "During this work effort, 9-by-9 inch floor tiles containing asbestos were discovered among buried construction debris in an area formerly known as the Shotmeyer property, a .359-acre parcel that was purchased by the Village in 2013 to create the contiguous Zabriskie-Schedler site."

The letter said the material is non-friable, meaning, "it does not easily crumble. Because the asbestos is sealed within the tile, the potential for release of airborne fibers is low."

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was on site when the tiles were found, Kazmark said in the letter, as was the town's Licensed Site Remediation Professional from Matrix New World Engineering.

The Village will now begin cleaning up the asbestos over two to three days, beginning next Thursday.

The town said the site is not open to the public during the work.

Ridgewood officials and residents have spent years debating the addition of athletic fields to the property that includes a 1825 Dutch house. The town purchased the land and house in 2009.

Debates are still ongoing about the potential for turf to be used on the fields.

More Updates

The following steps will be taken during the cleanup, the letter says:

Kazmark noted on Friday, "During the soil remediation project at the Schedler property, construction debris was found buried on the site ... We will now undertake an abatement process to remove the asbestos materials, followed by testing to confirm that asbestos associated with the buried debris is not detected in the soil.”

Cleanup Plan Approved This Year

The state's Department of Environmental Protection gave the go-ahead last August for the town to build the fields at the property.

But an attorney for the group Friends of the Zabriske-Schedler House filed a notice of appeal. Members are concerned about substances that may be used in the ballfields, and more.

Last August, Assistant DEP Commissioner Elizabeth Dragon issued a ruling giving conditional approval to the plan, provided the town fulfilled certain requirements. She said in a nine-page letter that the athletic fields would benefit the public.

The current plan preserves the house and requires remediation of toxic substances discovered last year. READ MORE: Lead Contamination Latest Roadblock For Ridgewood Plan To Add Ballfield To Historic Land

The updated plans were posted on the town website last spring.

In her decision on Aug. 29, Dragon concluded, "The Village has demonstrated the clear public benefit of this undertaking...The Village’s athletic fields support a wide range of youth and adult sports programs, school activities, and community events, and the demand for field space consistently exceeds availability."

She noted, "Several of the existing fields are subject to flooding during storm events, placing further stress on the Village’s limited resources."

The approval came with some conditions. The town had to undertake the work within five years and minimize impacts to the surrounding land.

When the town presented its new plans at a meeting this past June 3, opponents said were concerned about potential pollutants in the turf fields.

An earlier petition to the council notes, "Changes to the plan (including the introduction of a turf field and changes to the existing natural and mature tree barrier) do not consider the known health impact on children. Toxic pollutants from traffic, as well as noise pollution, will further harm park visitors and residents."

The Sierra Club recently supported a proposed state bill that prohibits using state Green Acres funding for artificial turf fields in parks.

On June 11, the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit for the remediation and work at the property. See the approval and plan details here.