Quarrying

This Page revised 9/18/05


Appellate Court upholds decision limiting quarry production

Residents and CLEAN oppose "stealth" quarry bill

Another Quarry Case Victory!

Victory in Quarry Case

Braen Stone Industries/Saddle Mountain, L.P. Quarry in Ringwood
Current Status - Court Case, License Denial, Violations
History of Quarry in Ringwood
History of Logging on quarry-owned forest acreage
Quarry application to set up "recycling" operation
Proposed Quarry in Ramapo

VICTORY IN QUARRY CASE

On September 21, 2000 Judge Burrell I. Humphreys ruled that the Borough of Ringwood has the right to regulate the amount of quarrying conducted in a residential zone within the Borough.  Skylands CLEAN, a defendant intervener since September 1999, played a significant role in achieving this victory.  CLEAN was well represented by attorney Jim Norman during the proceedings.

For more information about the ruling, click HERE.

(Ringwood< /h4>

FLYING ROCKS

Rocks
On the afternoon of December 10th, 1998,  a blast from the Saddle Mountain, L.P. quarry sent dangerously large rocks flying from the site onto adjoining properties causing damage to homes and automobiles. One worker from a road crew was injured on West Brook Road.

Superior Court Case Regarding Extraction (quarrying) Ordinance and License Renewal for Braen Stone Industries/Saddle Mountain, L.P. Quarry in Ringwood

In August 1999, Skylands CLEAN, Inc. filed a motion in Superior Court of New Jersey to obtain status as an intervenor in the court case brought against the Borough of Ringwood by Braen Industry's Saddle Mountain, L.P.
quarry (doing business as "Van Orden Sand & Gravel").  On September 7, 1999, in Superior Court of New Jersey, Judge Burrell I. Humphreys decided favorably on Skylands CLEAN Motion to Intervene.  Thus CLEAN will be at the table, as it were, as this case proceeds.

Skylands CLEAN has three reasons for seeking to intervene in this case:

After suffering for nearly a decade under the impact of this destructive industrial operation, the residents in the once-quiet neighborhood had the potential for some limited relief in May 1999 when the Ringwood Borough
Council finally tightened the regulations within the extraction ordinance. Although there are additional improvements still needing to be made to the ordinance, and it should never have taken so long for the Council to act,
it was an appreciated improvement.  On the day after the Council took this action, it went further by denying Saddle Mountain, L.P. a license renewal. This was based in part on violations by the quarry, which were brought to the attention of the Borough by CLEAN.  Again, although terribly long overdue, this action, too, was appreciated.

Predictably, Saddle Mountain, L.P. went to court, obtained a temporary injunction against the Council's action, and filed a suit against the Borough.

CLEAN will endeaver to use the intervenor status it was granted to insure that the interests of the environment and of the residents are protected thoroughly, and permanently.
 

Recent Extraction Ordinance and License History

The quarry was granted an initial, two-year license by the Borough of Ringwood in 1996, which expired at the end of August, 1998.  Scott Braen, as Vice President, sent a letter to Ringwood on June 25, 1998 to renew the quarry license for a three-year term (Note: the license ordinance requires application six months prior to expiration, so Braen's letter was four months late.

On May 4, 1999, The Ringwood Borough Council approved a tougher extraction (quarrying) ordinance which includes revisions that residents have been pleading for since this intrusive, destructive operation began in their once-quiet, residential neighborhood nine years ago. On May 5th the Borough Council voted unanimously not to renew Saddle Mountain, L.P.'s extraction license. The quarry was to cease operations within 60 days.  On June 4, 1999 State Superior Court Judge Burrell Ives Humphreys issued a temporary restraining order against the Borough of Ringwood "to allow the status quo".  Thus Saddle Mountain, L.P., operators of the Van Orden Sand and Gravel quarry, will be able to continue operations under the terms of the old ordinance until the case can be heard.  Braen Stone Industries, the parent company, is suing Ringwood for having made the Borough's generic extraction ordinance more strict, and for having denied the company's Ringwood operation a license renewal.  The quarry is claiming that the revised ordinance is too restrictive, and that Ringwood's denial of an operating permit amounts to an "unconstitutional taking" of private property rights. Skylands CLEAN contends that the stricter provisions of the revised ordiance are perfectly valid, as is the denial of a license renewal.  In fact, the quarry operators have never proven their self-proclaimed "right" to establish a rock quarry in an environmentally-sensitive, residentially-zoned neighborhood.  A trial date may be set for some time in September.  Check back for updates.
 

Violations Case Against Braen Stone Industries/Saddle Mountain, L.P.

Based on information provided by CLEAN, Ringwood Borough officials conducted a site inspection on August 28, 1998, of a residential lot (Lot 12) adjacent to the quarry. The lot was purchased several years ago by Saddle Mountain, L.P., but is not part of the quarry property, and so cannot be used for quarry activities. After the Borough inspection, the quarry operators were ordered, on August 31, to "cease and desist all activities on Lot 12 until you address and repair the damage you have caused as a result of your substantial violation of the property line". The Borough cited "clear and obvious" violations on the tract, involving the "clearing of trees", and "actual excavation activities".  Violations cited by the Borough include:


On September 10, 1998 Skylands CLEAN informed Borough officials of possible additional violations at Saddle Mountain, L.P.'s quarry in Ringwood.  Possible violations include tree cutting, failure to maintain buffers, unauthorized extraction on residential lots, quarrying beyond approved limits of disturbance, etc.

Although we continue to believe that Borough officials should have noticed these violations as part of regular inspection activity, the Borough does deserve credit for acting swiftly and decisively once we notified them of the violations.

The violations case gainst Braen Stone Industries/Saddle Mountain, L.P. continued on July 8th, 1999 with testimony by the Ringwood Borough Engineer, a consulting Mining Engineer, and a resident, followed by summations by both sides.  On July 22nd, the judge ruled on the quarry's request to dismiss all twelve charges of violations brought by Ringwood.  He agreed to drop several of the charges, but let the remainder stand.  After further presentations by both sides, the judge announced that he would issue his ruling on the remaining charges within thirty days.

violate.jpg

Picture of residential lot (to the left) where Saddle Mountain, L.P. was cited for various violations. Tree removal, excavation, lack of berm and fence can be seen. Property line between quarry and residential lot extends vertically from fenceline at center of the picture. (Taken midsummer, 1998)

(Note: according to the quarry ordinance, # 1994-#03, "Any person who violates any provision...shall for each such violation or offense be liable to a minimum penalty of five hundred dollars per day or imprisonment for a term not to exceed ninety days or both.")

TOP OF PAGE

History of Braen Stone Industries/Saddle Mountain, L.P. Quarry in Ringwood


In 1990, quarry operator Braen Industries purchased Van Orden Sand and Gravel, a small local business located in a quiet rural residential neighborhood in Ringwood. In addition, Braen purchased over 400 acres of untouched, fully forested land, including Saddle Mountain, in the adjacent Wyanokie Highlands (for details on efforts to preserve the unique mountain tracts owned by Saddle Mountain, L.P.,. Braen Industries, according to a newspaper article, "are substantial financial contributors to Passaic County political campaigns." The original Van Orden business was small-scale, part-time, frequently dormant, and in recent years mostly limited to a ready-mix cement business. It had lived in harmony with the community for decades.

The new owners (using the corporate name "Saddle Mountain, L.P.", but continuing to do business as "Van Orden Sand and Gravel") rapidly transformed the small business into a large quarry operation, complete with frequent, intensive blasting and rock crushing.  Numerous large, wide dump trucks travel along the same narrow, winding, rural roads as residents and school buses, crossing the West Brook Bridge.  Daily life for many residents in the vicinity of the quarry rapidly became unbearable. They sought relief from the Ringwood Borough Mayor and Council.

After public Hearing, the Ringwood Planning Board decided on January 13, 1992, to deny a soil-mining permit to Saddle Mountain, L.P.  The subsequent resolution stated, in part:

"......the Board finds and determines that it must be in a position to know whether or not the use requested by the applicant is a lawful or otherwise permitted use on the property owned by the applicant for which a major soil miming permit application has been filed. The Board further finds and determines.....that the Board of Adjustment is the only municipal agency which has jurisdiction and authority to make such a determination........The Board therefore concludes that it cannot proceed with the public hearings on the soil mining permit application at this time.  The Board further concludes that the public hearings on the soil mining permit application may resume after,  and only after,  the applicant has obtained a ruling from the Board of Adjustment on the non-conforming use or use variance questions.........The Board further finds and concludes that a site plan application will be required of the applicant when the Board of Adjustment has made the rulings above referred to."

The Planning Board also made some recommendations to the Mayor and Council:

 "The Planning Board further resolves that the Mayor and Council consider the following recommendations and in their judgment and wisdom act thereon:
 1. To undertake an investigation to determine that all permits and approvals required from all governmental authorities and agencies having jurisdiction are issued, in place and in order.
 2. To issue a stop work or limited work order to the extent that any of the aforesaid permits and approvals are not in place, and in order.
 3. That the governing body take steps to assure that the applicant will not continue to violate the buffer zones which are in the process of being enacted under the Extraction/Quarry Ordinance. The ordinance in its present draft form provides for a 100' buffer from the property lines.  The Planning Board has heard testimony that as fast as it is working on the Extraction/Quarry Ordinance to place the buffers into effect, that the applicant is just as busy clearing, denuding and excavating up to and in some places within 15' of the property line.  The Planning Board urges that the Council take all steps necessary to cause this work within the 100' buffer to be  terminated pending  adoption  of  the Extraction/Quarry Ordinance.
 4. Assure that the applicant  intends to file the requisite application with the Administrative Officer/Board of Adjustment...."
(Excerpted from the Memorializing Resolution dated 2/3/92; emphasis added)

On January 28, 1992, under the leadership of an environmentally-aware mayor, Craig Siegel, the Council adopted Resolution #92-70, which reads as follows:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Municipal Council of the Borough of Ringwood, County of Passaic and State of New Jersey, that it is hereby recommended to the Zoning Officer of the Borough that the said Zoning Officer issue a Stop Work Order to Saddle Mountain Ltd., regarding Lots 10, 11, and 26, Block 101, in the Borough of Ringwood, as follows:

   A. That the Stop Work Order prohibit any extraction or other activities on Lots 11 and 26, owned by Saddle Mountain Ltd., and

   B. (For the Record: Lot 3 now encompasses Lot 3 and 10 and consists of approximately 95.1 acres) That the Stop Work Order prohibit any extraction of rock or any other materials within 100 feet of any property line of the said Lot 3; and

   C. That Saddle Mountain Ltd. be advised that it must apply to the Zoning board of Adjustment within 20 days hereof for a determination as to whether or not it has legal or prior non-conforming rights with respect to extracting materials on Lot 3 and that the failure to so apply shall result in a  Stop Work Order prohibiting extraction on the entirety of Lot 3; and

   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the municipality does not concede that the said Saddle Mountain Ltd. has any prior non-conforming right to extract materials from Lot 3 and that its recommendation to the Zoning Officer that some extraction be permitted to continue on Lot 3 subject to conditions, shall be deemed without prejudice to the position of the municipality; and

   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Municipal Attorney be and is hereby authorized to institute any appropriate action in the Superior Court or other court or forum of competent jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the said Stop Work Order."
 

On January 30, 1992, The Zoning Code Official issued a Stop Work Order.

In response, on February 10, 1992, Saddle Mountain, L.P. sent the Borough a "Notice of claim pursuant to New Jersey Tort Claims Act", citing Resolution #92-70 and the Stop Work Order as "defamation and tortious interference, violation of civil rights, intrusion upon the right and ability to pursue normal and reasonably expected course of affairs...."

Then, on May 19, 1992 the Council passed Ordinance #1992-13, An Ordinance Amending the Revised Ordinances of the Borough of Ringwood to Provide for the Licensing and regulation of Certain Extraction Activities. For the first time since Braen purchased the property, their operation was going to be regulated. Residents thought they would at long last regain the quality of life which had existed in their neighborhood for all the years prior to the quarry's opening in 1990.

However, Saddle Mountain, L.P. failed to apply to the Board of Adjustment, or to accept regulation under ordinance #1992-13. They claimed that they had the "right" to operate a quarry in this residential neighborhood. This claim was despite the fact that:
(1) commercial/industrial operations are not permitted in Ringwood's residential zones;
(2) quarrying was at the time prohibited anywhere in the Borough.

In June 1992, after a "Wise-Use" campaign against him and others, Mayor Siegel resigned, citing harassment and intimidation (see Anti-Environmentalism page for details).

In July 1992, after filing a lawsuit against Ringwood, Saddle Mountain, L.P. obtained an injunction against putting the quarry ordinance into effect. They challenged the "validity, enforceability, reasonableness, and constitutionality" of the ordinance.

Between 1992 and 1994, attorneys for the Borough and the quarry met informally a number of times to discuss revisions to the challenged 1992 quarry ordinance.

The end result in August 1994, was a very much watered-down ordinance (#1994-03) which we felt was inadequate to control the quarry operation, protect the environment, or restore the neighborhood's quality of life.

In October 1994, Saddle Mountain, L.P. made an application for a special "quarry zone" (the quarry operates in a residential zone). But the Borough Planner recommended that the application be denied and that Saddle Mountain, L.P. be required to appear before the Board of Adjustment for any change in operations (Saddle Mountain, L.P. also sought to expand the operation up the mountain into the Highlands tracts). The Council passed a resolution telling Saddle Mountain, L.P. to make application to the Planning Board if they wanted a zone change. Only Councilmen Scott Heck and Lou Serafini voted against the resolution.

On November 29th, 1994, Saddle Mountain, L.P. went back to court and amended their 1992 lawsuit. Sam Braen III, as manager of the Saddle Mountain, L.P./Van Orden quarry, was quoted in the newspaper as saying he "feels bad for the taxpayers" but that "getting the zone change was part of the settlement agreement" (settlement discussions were held in closed-door Land Use Committee meetings with Councilmen Scott Heck and Lou Serafini).  In court papers, Saddle Mountain, L.P. charged "calculated deception" by the Borough and residents, as well as a "conspiracy" between the Borough and others to "adversely affect and emasculate" the quarry operation.

In August 1995, the Borough granted a tree harvesting permit for Saddle Mountain, L.P.'s Highlands tracts, despite the fact that tree harvesting is not allowed under Ringwood ordinance. CLEAN asked for a hearing before the Board of Adjustment, which was rejected.  We took the matter to court (after which Saddle Mountain, L.P. SLAPP-sued CLEAN in retaliation; see SLAPP page). The judge ruled that, being the first such incident of commercial tree harvesting, it could be excused this time as "forest maintenance."

In September 1995, after more than a year of delay, the Passaic County Construction Board of Appeals overturned the building code citations which had been issued in 1994 by Ringwood against the quarry. In October 1995, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) took over inspection of the structures at the quarry. According to a newspaper report, the DCA stated they planned "a full-fledged investigation" of the quarry site, including possible code violations, and of the County Board's actions in overturning Ringwood's earlier citations. A DCA investigator found additional violations not cited by Ringwood. As of May 1998, the Bureau of Regulatory Affairs section of DCA said the case was "still open" and no determination had yet been made.

In the spring of 1996, the Borough reached an out-of-court settlement of the long-standing lawsuit (Saddle Mountain, L.P.'s 1992 lawsuit was still in effect). Although Saddle Mountain, L.P. did agree to some regulation, business was allowed to continue pretty much unchanged, and through this settlement (negotiated entirely behind closed doors) the Borough abandoned any attempt to require the quarry operators to appear at a public hearing in front of the Board of Adjustment. The quarry was then granted a license by the Borough.

Thus, Saddle Mountain, L.P.  was spared having to prove, in an open, public process the unsubstantiated claim that they had a right to quarry in a residential zone. This ended Ringwood's historic ban on quarrying.

Our position is that Braen bought into this peaceful rural residential area presumably with eyes open: they were, or should have been, aware of the residential zoning, the tract's history of low-intensity use, the limits of the roads and bridges, the environmental sensitivity of this watershed area, the uniqueness and environmental attributes of the Wyanokie Highlands, etc.

Did this new business have the right to tell Ringwood or the still-suffering adjacent residents that the controls of the 1992 quarry ordinance would "unfairly" restrict their business? Or to reject demands that they prove their claim of a "right" to operate this intrusive quarry in a residential zone?

Now legitimized by the Council, the quarry continues its destructive and disturbing activities. Although most of the residents have lived in the area far longer than the Saddle Mountain, L.P. has been in business there, and collectively pay more taxes than the quarry operation, their rights have been sacrificed to the quarry's interest. The long-suffering residents are left to fend for themselves, enduring more noise and vibration from more frequent and larger blasts and rock crushing, increased traffic from bigger trucks, and a lower quality of life than they had when they first sought help from the Borough eight years ago.
 

HISTORY OF LOGGING on QUARRY's WYANOKIE TRACTS


In August 1995, the Borough granted a "tree harvesting" permit for Saddle Mountain, L.P.'s Wyanokie Highlands tracts, despite the fact that tree harvesting is not allowed under Ringwood ordinance.  CLEAN asked for a hearing before Ringwood's Board of Adjustment, as is provided for by law. This request was rejected, so our only recourse was to take the matter to court.  Even though the cut trees were going to be sold, the Borough attorney as well as the Board of Adjustment attorney took the position that the quarry was not engaging in commercial tree harvesting.  In October 1995 the judge ruled in favor of allowing the permit.  He said that since this was the first such incidence oftree harvesting, and not part of an ongoing  or repeated process, it could be excused this time as "forest maintenance."
 (After this case, Saddle Mountain, L.P. SLAPP-sued CLEAN in retaliation. See SLAPP page).

In May 1999, the quarry's consulting forester informed Ringwood's construction code official of the quarry's intention to conduct "timber harvesting" for commercial sale on their forested Wyanokie tracts.  The borough official responded in June 1999 to the forester that "the tree harvesting permit for Saddle Mountain L.P. has been approved".  After Skylands CLEAN became aware of logging on the property, our attorney  notified the code official in August that this activity was illegal under Ringwood ordinance and was not covered by the limited ruling in the 1995
 ase.  He demanded that the permit be revoked unless and until the quarry obtains a use variance from the Board of Adjustment.  Our attorney then discussed the matter with the Borough attorney.  Unfortunately, the Borough still has not taken any action to put an immediate stop to the logging. The Borough attorney did move to add logging and new road cutting as issues in the quarry's lawsuit against Ringwood over the license denial.  However, that case will take some time to adjudicate, and the losing party will likely appeal.  In the meanwhile, the logging continues.  We consider this to be unacceptable.  CLEAN is exploring options to end the logging.
 

QUARRY SEEKS TO EXPAND ACTIVITIES

In May 1998, Saddle Mountain, L.P. made application to Passaic County to set up a so-called Class B "recycling" facility at the already-controversial quarry in Ringwood (the "Van Orden Sand & Gravel" site).

There are already a great number of large trucks entering and leaving the quarry six days a week, including triple rear-axle tractor-trailers. Saddle Mountain, L.P. now proposes what amounts to an additional 240 trips per day (120 trucks in, 120 trucks out) of tandem tractor-trailer trucks (while quarry representatives claim that there will be fewer additional truck trips than this, Ringwood's Planner estimates more - up to 400 additional trips per day).  The trucks would haul 25 tons apiece, according to the application, along the narrow, winding rural roads around the reservoir and across West Brook Bridge.

The application states that the tandem trucks will cart in 3,000 tons of material per day: 1,500 tons of concrete, 1,000 tons of asphalt, and 500 tons of "untreated lumber".  Saddle Mountain, L.P. also estimates that 1-2 tons per day of "various metals" will be produced.  The "primary contaminant" is listed as "iron".  However, under the New Jersey Administrative Code (NJAC 7:26A-1.3), additional source separated materials which can be stored and processed at Class B facilities "includes, but is not limited to, the following:"

petroleum contaminated soil;
scrap tires;
brick, block, asphalt-based roofing scrap and wood waste;
whole trees, tree trunks, tree parts, tree stumps, brush and leaves provided they are not composted;
non-putrescible [not susceptible to decomposition] waste materials other than metal, glass, paper, plastic containers, corrugated and other cardboard resulting from construction, remodeling, repair and demolition operations on houses, commercial buildings, pavements and other structures.

Additionally, we are concerned about the danger of potential contamination of imported materials via saturation or mixing with unknown substances prior to being trucked into this residential, watershed area.

This new operation would also involve a considerable increase in crusher, conveyor, chipper and front-loader truck activity, with accompanying dust and noise.  Based on the capacity of the crushers as listed in the Class B application, 2,500 tons of concrete and asphalt could be processed in less than two hours, meaning there is ample capacity for a considerable increase above their projection (indeed, the crushers could process a total of 19,800 tons during current hours of operation).

The Passaic County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) reviewed the application on Thursday, June 25, 1998.  After a brief presentation by an attorney and engineer representing the quarry, SWAC heard from area residents, representatives of CLEAN, and Ringwood Borough officials (the borough attorney, manager, planner and Councilmen Ron Madigan and Allan Van Eck) who raised serious objections and spoke against the application.  The quarry's attorney tried to get the Ringwood representative on SWAC removed from voting, on the grounds that he shouldn't vote on an issue relating to the town he represents, but SWAC rejected this.  The attorney also asked for additional time to develop responses to the objections the applicant had failed to address.  SWAC decided, however, after much discussion, that the applicant had had adequate opportunity to anticipate the issues, even if the applicant chose not to address them.  SWAC then voted 8 to 1 to recommend that the Board of Chosen Freeholders reject the application.  We thank the township representatives of Pompton Lakes, Bloomingdale, Wanaque, Ringwood, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Prospect Park and Wayne for their vote (Clifton abstained; the only vote against rejection was the individual from WPR/Mancini, representing the solid-waste industry).

The next step was for the application to be discussed in July by the Planning and Economic Development Committee, an advisory committee consisting of three Freeholders, but Saddle Mountain, L.P. withdrew its application from consideration for the time being.  The Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders will eventually need to hold a public hearing to decide whether or not they will amend the County's Solid Waste Management Plan to allow this Class B "recycling" facility. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which makes the final decision, will then review the Freeholder's action. We will post the date of the Freeholder's hearing once it has been set - check our "Upcoming Events" page periodically.

Meanwhile, the Braen family has retained a large law firm to represent them, and has hired one of the largest and most influential public relations firms in New Jersey, MWW Communications, to "buff up" their "image" (as one reporter characterized it after interviewing the senior member of the family). They have already been at work promoting the proposed facility.  According to Braen's MWW representative, Steve Altobelli, (Herald News article, 7/12/98), the Braens are considering their "options" after being rejected by SWAC - such as submitting a revised application to SWAC, or "going directly to the state DEP for approval," thus bypassing a public hearing with the Freeholders.

We believe that this "Class B" proposal represents a direct threat to the quality of life in the surrounding residential neighborhood, and will have a regional impact as well.

Even the current amount of truck traffic raises very serious concerns throughout region, whether along Ringwood Avenue in Ringwood, Wanaque, Haskell and Pompton Lakes, or Union Avenue in Haskell and Bloomingdale, or Skyline Drive in Ringwood and Oakland, or West Brook Road in Ringwood, Wanaque and West Milford, etc.  At issue is the safety of residents, and of school children in eight-foot-wide buses, forced to share the narrow, winding roads and the narrow West Brook Bridge with numerous large, heavy, eight-foot-wide quarry trucks (bus and truck mirrors extend an additional ten inches on each side).  The trucks are often seen going partly off the road when another truck passes, and going over the centerline around the many curves and on the bridge.  Truck accidents are not theoretical: a tractor-trailer turned over on a tight, narrow curve on Sloatsburg Road in July 1998, spilling much of its load.  Luckily, there was no car or school bus coming in the opposite direction as the truck rolled into the oncoming lane and crushed the guardrail.  Parents of school-age children are becoming increasingly fearful about the safety of having school buses in the truck traffic that currently exists.  Some school bus stops have been changed because of this concern.

There is also the threat to the quality of the Wanaque Watershed, and to the drinking water that it supplies to two million New Jersey residents, from extensive truck traffic (diesel exhaust particulates, oil and fuel drippings which contribute to what is known as "non-point source pollution", etc.) and the danger of spills.

The rural road infrastructure is also taking quite a beating, which will need major repair at taxpayer expense.

CLEAN is circulating petitions against this application.  If you have not signed one, or if you wish to help oppose this threat, please contact us.

FOOTNOTE:  Some residents, already quite concerned about the existing truck traffic, have become active in opposing the "Class B" facility.  As part of their efforts, they have been taking photographs and videotapes of the large trucks trying to negotiate the narrow roads.  There has already been an incident.  See "Anti-Environmentalism" page.
 

TRAIL CLOSINGS

Sam Braen, III notified the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference in late June 1998 that he was closing all remaining hiking trails on the Highlands properties owned by his family. This is part of the Wyanokie Highlands and includes Saddle Mountain. Consisting of over 400 acres in Ringwood and West Milford, these tracts were bought by the Braen family in 1990 in the hopes of eventually moving their new quarry operation up into the mountain.  This is in addition to earlier, partial trail closings.  Some of these trails have been in use for over seventy five years.


Notice From NY/NJ Trail Conference

TOP OF PAGE

The Proposed Ramapo Quarry

The Following is from an article that appeared in
the Rockland Review on July 1,1998 written by Ben Keeperman
 

Ramapo Quarry proposal in jeopardy of being tossed out by

  Ramapo Town Board

Representatives from the Ramapo Land Company have always known that the Ramapo Town Board was holding the final cards about their quarry proposal in Tome Valley because quarries are not permitted in town and a special permit is required.

Now as the extensive environmental process is underway, the Ramapo Town Board could be ready to pull the plug on the entire proposal even before all the studies are finalized. "The issue about the Ramapo quarry is expected to be discussed at our next workshop and that at our next meeting," said Ramapo town supervisor Herbert Reisman. Reisman would not comment any further about the nature of the discussion, but he did say that a vote could be taken by as early as the next meeting of the town board. "There could be a vote or maybe there won't be I cannot speak for all the board members," the supervisor said.

Reisman did state that there has been a lot of public sentiment against the siting of the quarry in Tome Valley from residents all across the town and the county. Ramapo officials have been silent on the issue during the past year, but all of sudden the town board's interest level has been peaked regarding the project.

Sam Braen, President of Ramapo Mountain Land Company, recently stated in an editorial to this newspaper that "the proposed site is in an ideal location-- a remote industrial area that is home to one of the largest electrical substations in the Northeast, the county's waste transfer station, the township landfill and in the near future, a sludge recycling plant. As a result, the quarry has the potential to deliver significant economic benefits to the community, in terms of jobs and taxes, without impacting area homeowners."

A spokesman for the Ramapo Land Company recently said that it would be unfair for the town board to make a decision before all the facts concerning the environmental concerns are in.

Opponents  of  the quarry idea have been vocal from the very beginning. They fear that the proposal will inflict lasting harm to the Tome Valley environment and native wildlife. The target site, which borders parkland and popular hiking trails on two sides, is one of the town's and county's last lingering natural habitats that has been left undeveloped and green throughout the years. The quarry, which would be cutting into the side of the mountainous landscape could become an eyesore for decades and decades to come.

"We are committed to protecting the environment and are proposing numerous steps to ensure the integrity of the area around the site, such as water retention basins to control runoff. In addition, the quarry is designed to be at grade so as not to create a large pit which is typically associated  with  these projects," Braen said.

The developers, who have been trying to get their side out in the public during the past few months, have been working on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will include an indepth review of the quarry's potential impacts, both adverse and positive. Special attention will be given to the potential impact on the Palisades Interstate Park, which abuts the property, and to the area's public water supplies. A number of supplementary studies focusing on particular areas of concern also will be completed. The studies include noise and traffic, an assessment of the visual implications of the quarry, delineation of any wetlands on the site, cultural and ecological surveys, and detailed assessment of possible impact to the timber rattlesnake.

"As you can see, this EIS will be comprehensive. It is our sincere hope that the final environmental assessment will satisfactorily answer all relevant questions related to the project," Braen said.

Braen and others, who have been operating similar stone quarries in New Jersey, maintain that there is a growing market for this stone. Such quarries are few in New york State, but the demand is not any less.

"We really believe that this is a worthy that will bring jobs and a commercial tax base to the area as well as providing material that is used in New York State", Braen said in his written  editorial.

TOP OF PAGE


email us at clean@skyclean.org