Tribute to Piano Men at Mercer County Park
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

  TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW

APRIL 14 AT 10AM!!

 

 

 

 

For Piano Men: A Tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel; Two Pianos...One Unforgettable Night starring Broadway's Craig A. Meyer, Almost Elton John, and Donnie Kehr!! At the ‪#‎MercerCountyPark‬ ‪#‎FestivalGrounds‬ on June 6 at 7:30pm!! Fireworks following the concert!!

Order online www.ComcastTIX.com, by phone: (800) 298-4200 or at the Sun National Bank Center Box Office. Visit www.mercercountyparks.orgfor more information.

 

Hamilton’s High Tech Filing System
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

Hamilton’s High Tech Filing System

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

 

Setting up a good records management program may seem daunting, but our government leaders have responsibilities that are manageable. A little effort in the short term will save an office trouble in the long term. Document accessibility will save government employees the headache of sorting through vast amounts of paperwork, dramatically improving efficiency.

 

Local town leadership’s involvement with records management began the first day they became a part of the public office or employed for local government.

 

The law defines public records very broadly. All records must be managed properly. Most records will be destroyed according to established policies and procedures. The small percentage of records deemed to have permanent value need to be deposited at the State Archives. When the policies are not followed, and records are willfully destroyed, criminal prosecution is in order. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 in many states.

 

What is the role of a public official? Whether you were voted into office, appointed by an elected representative, or hired by a government agency, you are responsible for your organization's records.  Records must be maintained correctly to facilitate the transparency that the public expects of public office-holders.

 

State law makes all public officials responsible for making sure that records no longer needed are either offered to the Archives or are destroyed according to procedures that are spelled out in the states regulations.

 

All Government employees are responsible for records, from elected officials to office clerks. They all need to do our part to preserve the documentary history of Maryland's development.

Transparency of government is only possible through records management. Continuity of records is an integral piece of public officials' responsibility to their constituents. Though it may sound challenging, adhering to good records management practices will be beneficial in the long-term. An office with easy and reliable access to its records will operate efficiently.

 

During a recent OPRA request I made,  I had the opportunity to visit the Hamilton Township Municipal building in Mercer County.  I was contacted by the County Clerks office that there were over 800 documents for me to review based on my request.  

 

Upon entering the place where these documents were stored I was stunned at the condition of the room. There was visqueen plastic draped throughout the room clothes pinned to the ceiling. There were puddles of brown water laying within the visqueen.  I asked one of the township employees what was the cause of having all this plastic hanging from the ceiling. Their response,” the roof has been leaking for quite some time so we have this up to protect the file cabinets.  Last year, I was in the tax office in the municipal building and saw this same dramatic visqueen plastic set up due to the leaking roof. 

 

The room I was in was filled with numerous file cabinets. These file cabinets house important government records. All of the cabinets in this room had this plastic visqueen above them. There were extensive puddles of brown water scattered throughout the visqueen, above the cabinets. Obviously mold growing from the continued wetness.  Is this how our government documents should be safeguarded? This is also not an optimal work environment for the employees as well.

 

Once I finished examining the files in the metal cabinets, I was given numerous old, collapsed boxes to leaf through to evaluate the documents.  The boxes are not labeled just stuffed with numerous amounts of paper.

 

I had also requested to have emails and digital documents in my request. I obtained an email from the County Clerk which stated,

 

“It is my understanding that the former administration did not archive emails.  We will conduct a keyword search for any and all emails and once received, I will advise. Nothing has been saved prior to 2010.”

 

I am still waiting for a response on this request from the county clerk.

 

Governments are bound by law to protect all records; which includes emails.  which are in their custody.  The law defines the roles laid out in the Annotated Code in an effort to protect records considered essential to the continuing operation of government, guarantee the integrity and preservation of permanent records, ensure the legal admissibility of the permanent record, secure the rights and privileges of citizens, assure public access to the records of government, promote agency legal and fiscal accountability, provide a means to document agency administrative history.

The law also further states that a person may not willfully alter, deface, destroy, remove, or conceal a public record except under proper authority. Exploring the regulations makes it clear that records management is important to the management of your government's responsibilities.

 

The Division and the State Archivist have adopted regulations to define the character of records of archival quality; determine the quantity of those records;  set standards for the development of record retention and disposal schedules; and provide for the periodic transfer to the State Archivist or disposal of records, in accordance with the schedules.

 

Each unit of the government shall have a program for the continual, economical, and efficient management of the records of the unit. The program needs to include procedures to ensure the security of the records; to establish and to revise, in accordance with the regulations, record retention and disposal schedules that ensure the prompt and orderly disposition of records that the unit no longer needs for its operation; and to facilitate compliance the law. One can only imagine if this program exists and if it does how does the leadership ensure its being followed.

 

In the event government documents are in danger of being destroyed (like what I saw at the Hamilton Municipal Building) alternative solutions must be made to ensure the integrity of the government documents. (i.e. rent equipment, storage space, or services for records, including microfilming or photocopying, and, as appropriate).

 

The State does not under any circumstances authorize any local government to perform destruction of a permanent book of account; the destruction of a land record of a clerk of a circuit court; the destruction of any record that relates to the financial operation of a unit of the government or to collection of State , the destruction of any record until the expiration of the period that a statute expressly sets for that record to be kept; the destruction of any public record that a statute expressly requires to be kept permanently.

 

In accordance with the record retention and disposal schedules, a public officials must offer to the Archives any public record of the official that no longer is needed, such as: an original paper; a book;  a file;  a record of a court of record for which an accurate transcript is in use; or  a record that relates to the internal management of or otherwise is a housekeeping record.

 

Unless a government has received written approval from the State Archivist, a public official may not destroy any public record. If a record is destroyed there will be a record of approval of the destruction and how it was destroyed.

  

The custodian of records shall, at the expiration of the custodian's term of office, appointment, or employment, deliver custody and control of all records kept or received in the transaction of official business to the custodian's successor, supervisor, or records officer, or to Archives.

 

Public officials shall notify the Archives of any actual, impending, or threatened unlawful removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records that shall come to the agency's attention.  The State Archivist may request the Attorney General to seek appropriate relief.

 

When nonpermanent records are destroyed in accordance with the terms of an approved schedule, the agency or Records Center shall submit a certificate of records destruction to Archives.

 

I have asked the township to reveal the certificates of destruction for all the documents that I have requested in my OPRA request.  I am awaiting their response. The lack of focus on ensuring the integrity of sacred government documents in the local government of Hamilton is very disturbing.

 

As the township purchases body cameras for the police force, one can only question whether or not the digital data that is acquired from the cameras will be appropriately managed.  If you compare it to how the towns records are managed, they need to slow this purchase down and not waste the taxpayers dollars.  How will they ensure the data is secure, archived and managed?  This is a very important aspect when any town makes this large investment in these body cameras. Anyone can make the purchase, but if the data is not managed properly then it’s a waste of everyone’s time and money to make the investment. 

 

ADDENDUM TO STORY: APRIL 19,2015

 

Upon further discussions and follow up with the Mercer County Clerk, who has been in her position for 35  years we learned

Emails just "disappear

All servers just "disappear" when people leave office

No email or digital file was ever saved prior to July 2010, they were all deleted

In the past 35 years there has never been a certification (this properly documents what documents or emails have been deleted or sent to the state archive) done ever in the history of Hamilton township in Mercer County. All certifications come through the County clerk and she has never processed one

The county clerk is well aware of the shenanigans going on with the deletion of files and emails, her own have just disappeared, but nothing has ever been done to rectify the situation or document this behavior is going on. 

Coast Guard Community Festival: May 8-10, Cape May NJ
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Arts Council of Princeton’s signature spring art and wine fundraiser, Pinot to Picasso ~ Vintage 2015, will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 6-10pm at Herring Properties, 281 Witherspoon Street, Princeton

 

 

The Arts Council of Princeton’s (ACP) signature spring art and wine fundraiser, Pinot to Picasso ~ Vintage 2015, will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 6-10pm at Herring Properties, 281 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ. Approximately 400 guests are expected to attend the festivities, which include a salon-style exhibition, gourmet tastings, wines from around the world, local beers, and dancing. Tickets are available online at artscouncilofprinceton.org or by calling (609) 924-8777 x103. One of the highlights of the evening is the “Tombola,” a drawing of art works contributed by invited local artists.

 

Preview the artwork at the Pinot to Picasso Exhibition at ACP’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, April 7-15 with a special Preview Opening Reception on Thursday, April 9 at 5pm. For more information, please visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777. Parking is available in the Spring and Hulfish Street Garages and at metered parking spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place.

One of the highlights of the evening is the “Tombola,” a drawing of beautiful original works of art contributed by talented local artists. The number of Tombola tickets available is limited to the number of pieces of art. Tombola ticket holders, having already previewed the available choices, make a quick decision when their number is drawn. In the end, each Tombola ticket holder takes home an original work of art.

 

Guests will indulge in “Best Tastes of Princeton” gourmet tastings prepared by Bon Appetit Fine Foods, Dish Catering, Jammin’ Crepes, Main Street Fine Catering, Mediterra, and Mistral. World wines and local beers will be selected by CoolVines, Mediterra, Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop, and Public Wine.

 

Tickets for Pinot to Picasso are $125 for a Taster (event) ticket and $300 for a Tombola (art draw) entry. Sponsorship tickets are available for $500, $1,000, and $2,500. Purchase tickets online at www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777 x103.

 

A committee of creative artists and designers will transform raw commercial space into a festive, multi-dimensional party environment, and in addition to the displayed Tombola art, guests will have the opportunity to create art on site. The theme of this year’s event is “Spring.” Providing dance music for the event is DJ Darius the First.

 

Pinot to Picasso provides artists with great exposure to new audiences. Preview the donated artwork by visiting the online Tombola Gallery athttp://tombola.artscouncilofprinceton.org/2015/art_list.php and at the ACP’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts from April 7-15 with a special Preview Opening Reception on Thursday, April 9 at 5pm. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777. Parking is available in the Spring and Hulfish Street Garages and at metered parking spots along Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place.

 

Revenue raised from Pinot to Picasso contributes in part to the Arts Council’s Anne Reeves Fund, which supports Community Arts initiatives and the Arts Council’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Generous contributors to this event include corporate sponsors Herring Properties, SureTech, and Wells Fargo Private Bank.

Mercer County Area Writers and Artists Invited to Submit Work for Kelsey Review
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

Mercer County Area Writers and Artists

Invited to Submit Work for Kelsey Review

Area writers and artists are invited to submit their work for possible inclusion in Kelsey Review 2015, an arts journal published annually by Mercer County Community College (MCCC). The Review accepts short fiction, poetry, personal essays, excerpts of novels, black and white line drawings (suitable for digital scanning), and cartoons by those who live, work or study in Mercer County.

 

 

Fiction should be limited to 4,000 words, non-fiction to 2,500 words, and poetry to six pages. Material can be on any topic, but should not have been previously published.  Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but authors are asked to inform the editors as soon as possible if a piece submitted to Kelsey Review has been accepted for publication elsewhere.

 

This year, the college is introducing a new online submission system.  (Submissions will no longer be accepted by mail or email.)  Full details on the submission process and criteria for submission are available at www.mccc.edu/kelseyreview.  Online versions of prior years' editions are also available on this webpage.  For additional information or questions, email kelsey.review@mccc.edu.

 

The deadline for all submissions is May 15.  Decisions will be made by a four-person editorial board in June and July. The board is co-chaired by MCCC English faculty members Ed Carmien, now in his tenth year with the Review, and new co-editor Jacky Vogtman. Contributors will be notified by the second week of August.

Kelsey Review will be available online in the fall.  Area residents and groups are encouraged to support the arts in Mercer County by sponsoring Kelsey Review. Sponsorships help to underwrite the publication and distribution costs for this unique literary arts journal. Sponsors will have their logo or other information printed on the front or rear inside cover page. 

 

Funding for Kelsey Review is made possible in part by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey State Council for the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.

Communiversity ArtsFest on Sunday, April 26th from 1-6pm.
Topic: ART NEWS

 

 

 

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), in collaboration with the students of Princeton University and the town of Princeton, presents the 45th annual Communiversity ArtsFest on Sunday, April 26th from 1-6pm.The festival is a well-orchestrated combination of local and student performers, artists and crafters, chefs, merchants, community groups and volunteers that make up the community of Princeton and beyond.

 

Communiversity will once again feature six stages of non-stop live performances. The ACP is pleased to announce a partnership with Princeton University’s radio station, WPRB 103.3 FM, who will be programming the Chambers Street stage in celebration of their 75^th anniversary.

 

Over 200 booths will also occupy the event site along Nassau and Witherspoon Streets, Palmer Square (on the Green) and the University campus near Nassau Hall. Performance highlights for this year’s event include music by returning artists Big Wake, Princeton School of Rock, Canto Del Sur, and The Shaxe. New this year are up-and-coming regional artists including Lauren Marsh and Underwater Sounds.

 

Communiversity is known for many memorable performers, such as the Princeton University Marching Band and Stone Soup Circus, parading the streets. Also scheduled to perform on stage are a variety of dance groups including ARB/Princeton Ballet School, the YWCA dance troupe, and Flamenco dancing from Fiesta Flamenco.

 

One of the goals of Communiversity is to inspire, engage and foster creativity among its attendees. The Paint Out Princeton project was a huge success last year and will be back again this year with talented local painters capturing the excitement of Communiversity. The finished artwork will be on display and open to the public on May 9^th from 3:00-5:00pm at the ACP’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts.

 

Faraz Kahn, ACP’s newest Artist in Residence, will be leading a free public art project teaching visitors how to write their name in beautiful Arabic calligraphy. Participants will learn the Arabic alphabet and transcribe their name in script onto a paper pennant that will hang in an outdoor display.

 

Ever-popular art attraction and ACP-sponsored activity, “Nana’s-Make-A-Mess,” is a highlight for children at Communiversity. It enables kids to express their creativity with an assortment of messy materials to make their own original artwork.

 

Communiversity ArtsFest takes place in the heart of Princeton where there are many street parking options as well as parking garages – the Chambers and Hulfish Garages can both be accessed via Chambers Street and the Spring Street garage can be accessed via Wiggins Street. The owner and operator of Princeton Shopping Center, EDENS, is sponsoring a Communiversity shuttle that will transport passengers from the shopping center to the festival entrance at the corner of Wiggins and Witherspoon from 12:30-6:30pm. Look for shuttle signage at shuttle pick-up locations. Additional parking can be found in Princeton University’s parking lots are open and free to the public on Communiversity day. Visit www.princeton.edu/parking for details.

Papal Visit in Philadelphia
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 PAPAL VISIT IN PHILADELPHIA 

 

 

World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015 today announced Philadelphia-based special events planning and production firm, The Creative Group, Inc., as event producer for all Papal events taking place outside the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the World Meeting of Families. The Creative Group, Inc. will be responsible for the planning, management and execution of any scheduled events, programs and activities undertaken by Pope Francis as part of his Philadelphia itinerary beyond his presence at the Festival of Families on Saturday, September 26 and the Papal Mass on Sunday, September 27. Although detailed plans regarding the full Papal itinerary have not yet been finalized, such events managed by The Creative Group, Inc. would include the Holy Father's arrival in and departure from Philadelphia as well as various logistics associated with public moments during Pope Francis' stay in Philadelphia. Details of the papal itinerary are expected to be released in the spring or summer of 2015.

 

Over the past two and a half decades, The Creative Group has become a nationally recognized events production firm, from the national 200^thanniversary of the US Constitution to the inaugural visit of the Tall Ships to Philadelphia during its 300^th anniversary when 3.2 million people flocked to the riverfront for the largest event in the city's history. Under the direction of executive producers Fred Stein and Neil Stein, The Creative Group has successfully staged more than 2,500 major special events and meetings in numerous cities around the globe, and will now provide its expertise in once-in-a-lifetime milestone events to the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015.

 

"Although there has been no official confirmation from the Vatican regarding the full Papal itinerary for Philadelphia, I am confident that Fred Stein and his team have the ability to seamlessly coordinate and execute any activity the Vatican requests of us," said Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015. "Whatever the Pope's schedule, it is wonderful to be working with such a tremendous group of professionals who fully understand the deeply personal and wide-ranging impact that these events - and Pope Francis, himself - will have on all who share in the World Meeting of Families."

Co-sponsored by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event that seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society. This international gathering will welcome Pope Francis to the United States for the first time in his Papacy. Being held in the United States for the first time ever, the official theme for the 2015 World Meeting of Families is "Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive."

"It is an honor to play such an integral role in Pope Francis' first visit to the United States," said Mr. Stein. "As we plan our events, we like to think of ourselves as the keepers of emotion. It is critical that we deliver events that have immense impact on people, making them smile, well up with tears of joy and swell with pride. We are working to create history with the World Meeting of Families and this opportunity will prove to be the finest of our career."

For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next September, please visit www.WorldMeeting2015.org. You can also engage the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia on Facebook (World Meeting of Families 2015) (Encuentro Mundial de las Familias - Filadelfia 2015), Twitter (@WMF2015) (@WMF2015ES) and Instagram (WMF2015).

New Park in Hamilton, NJ
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

New Park in Hamilton, NJ

 

RESIDENTS: ENTER AND BE PROSECUTED

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

 

As a marathon runner, I run everywhere at all hours, in the AM and PM in my town.  This past winter as I ran in the neighborhood near the new Edgewater properties, (behind the American Standard complex) I heard massive gun fire each evening.  It sounded as if people where performing target practices in the woods behind the new condominium development. The gunfire clearly was from automatic weapons and handguns.  It started me so much, I stopped running back there thinking things really have gotten bad in Hamilton. This is a daily sound coming from the woods in that area. I asked some of the residents in the area adjacent to the gunfure what they knew, and they did not know what was going on. They too were frightened.

 

This past week brought many township vehicles speeding down Sandalwood Ave in Hamilton, NJ.  A resident in the area flagged one of the Township vehicles to slow due to the high rate of speed he was driving in the residential neighborhood.  He had words with the driver and the driver actually called the police on the Hamilton resident due to the fact he cursed at him.  The police came and informed the resident  and told the resident to write a letter to the Mayor if he had an issue with the rate of speed a township vehicle was driving in a residential area. He shared with him that there is a new park/picnic area being built for the Hamilton police on Electronics Drive. This new park is being built adjacent to a new firing range they installed in the area. So, this now explains the massive gunfire I heard this winter during my runs.

 

Let’s  rewind for a moment. In 2013, Megan Goldschmidt, journalist for the Trentonian  reported:

 

“According to The Delaware Riverkeeper Organization, soil contaminated with lead and an un-lined, open dump have not been fully mapped and delineated, yet the owner of the property in Hamilton Township wants to proceed with cleanup.

“An insufficient and partial cleanup of this site is a violation of the public trust not to mention leaving people and the environment potentially exposed to future contamination,” said DRN member Maya van Rossum, “There are going to be 52 homes built here with children playing in the back yards, foundations and pools dug, and family gardens all of which will drain to the Crosswicks Creek and then on to the Delaware River, where 17 million people get their drinking water.”

The township of Hamilton has gone down this road with gun ranges before. They did not do a very good job of ensuring the environmental safety  of the area.  In 2011, the Italian-American Sportsmen's Club agreed to sell some of their property to Sharbell Development.  Sharbell plans to build 52 single-family homes on the land.   This project has been held up for years after initial soil testing showed lead contamination created by two firing ranges once operated on the site. 

There has been zero communication to the residents in the area when this new outdoor firing range was opened or being considered for installation. There are only signs  threatening prosecution if you try to enter and see what is being built in the woods. Evidently, this new park is only for township employees.  The taxpayers of the town are not allowed to enter.  The sign at the top of this article is just one of many of the threatening signs on display. Aren't the taxpayers  the ones who have actually probably paid for the range and the new park? However, they are banned from entry?

Recently, there has been a growing public concern about the potential negative environmental and health effects of range operations. In particular, the public is concerned about potential risks associated with the historical and continued use of lead shot and bullets at outdoor ranges.

 

This concern is not unfounded. An estimated 9,000 non-military outdoor ranges exist in the United States, collectively shooting millions of pounds of lead annually. Some ranges have operated for as long as several generations.

 

Historical operations at ranges involved leaving expended lead bullets and shot uncollected on ranges. Many of these ranges continue to operate in the same manner as in the past.  It is estimated that approximately four percent (4%) (80,000 tons/year) of all the lead produced in the United States in the late 1990’s (about 2million tons/year), is made into bullets and shot.

 

Taking into account rounds used off-range, and rounds used at indoor ranges, it is clear that much of this 160,000,000 pounds of lead shot/bullets finds its way into the environment at ranges.

 

In addition, these ranges can cause a substantial impact on wildlife and wetlands, which range owners/operators may be required to restore under other federal laws (e.g., CERCLA, discussed below). Lead shot entering a water body substantially increases the potential risk of contaminating surface and groundwater which, in turn, threatens human health and the environment.

 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), imposes liability on past and present owners or operators of properties where a release of a hazardous substance into the environment exists. CERCLA is used to ensure that an owner/operator cleans a contaminated site or to seek reimbursement from past owners/operators or disposers (potentially responsible parties or PRPs) when a party, either the government or private party, has cleaned up the contamination.

 

Under CERCLA, lead is considered a hazardous substance. EPA has the authority to order a PRP to clean up a site or conduct the cleanup and recover its costs from the PRP under CERCLA.  Responsible parties may be held liable for all cleanup costs, which can be substantial. Under CERCLA, shooting ranges may be liable for government costs incurred during the cleanup of ranges, natural resources damages, and health assessments and/or health effects studies. The following two examples illustrate how shooting ranges (including one operated by the federal government) can be affected by CERCLA.

 

Documenting activities and keeping good records is of paramount importance for an effective lead management program at a range. Owners/operators should document all activities done at the range with respect to BMPs and recycling of lead. Records should be kept on when services were provided and who provided them. One can only wonder if all the rules are being followed by the township with this gun range.

 

Owners/operators need to document what type of BMP(s) were implemented to control lead migration, the date of service, and who did the services. The records should be kept for the life of the range. Records may be used to show that owners/operators are doing their part to BMP for Lead at Outdoor Shooting Ranges. Would one find these documents in an Opra request?

 

One would  probably find very interesting information via an OPRA request as it pertains to this new firing range and how it is being managed in the township.  Should the residents trust  that the leadership is doing the right thing with this range? . Did they learn from their mistakes at the Italian American Site?  What did this new park and range cost the  residents? How are they getting rid of the lead? Why were the residents in the area not informed of this new firing range that is  hidden in the woods behind a brand new development? Only the Mayor and her leadership can answer those questions.

 

 

Source:

http://epa.gov/region2/waste/leadshot/epa_bmp.pdf

No More Microbeads in NJ
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

No More Microbeads in NJ

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

Economic development is critical to the success of any city or town. The leadership in prospective towns have an obligation to ensure that this development is done ethically, analytically and take the safety and welfare of the residents first and foremost. When a town ignores this process, catastrophic things can happen.

 

During a Hamilton townships public meeting in the summer of 2014,  it was mentioned that the company Salvona would be coming into Hamilton NJ. Salvona is a company that manufactures cosmetic raw materials for a multitude of products and microbeads. Their offices and manufacturing plant reside at 2521 Kuser Rd., Hamilton, NJ.

 

There are many changes occurring in the cosmetic raw material sector. In 2014, the state of Illinois was the first state to have banned (see attached link) the sale and manufacture of all products containing microbeads.

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-06-08/news/chi-governor-signs-bill-making-illinois-first-state-to-ban-microbeads-20140608_1_microbeads-great-lakes-products

 

In 2014, Illinois banned the sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads, becoming the first state to legally take a strong stance against what researchers are calling a serious environmental problem. The plastic waste caused by the microbeads, which are not filtered out during sewage treatment, are damaging water ecosystems. A report recently published by the U.N. Environment Programme says plastic waste causes $13 billion in damage every year to marine life.

 

Since the beads are so small, fish and other marine life easily swallow them, causing DNA damage and even death. A 2008 study from the UK researchers showed that the plastics remained inside muscles for 48 days. Last year, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Superior reported at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society that there were 1,500 to 1.7 million plastic particles per square mile in the Great Lakes. 

During the timeframe of this approval in Illinois, the Hamilton Township leadership approved the company Salvona to commence manufacture of microbeads. 

 

Upon reaching out to the leadership in Hamilton Township, NJ, in June of 2014, we asked,” What will the leadership of Hamilton township do to ensure our water stays safe until these products are officially banned in NJ?

 

The microbeads that Salvona manufactures are 300 to 850 microns. (which is equal to 0.3  to 0.85 mm)  The information on the types of beads that are being manufactured were readily available on Salvona’s corporate web site.  The official ban limits are being set at any beads that are 5mm and smaller in size. As one can see, Salvona's beads are considerably smaller than that for they are fractions of a millimeter.

 

There is also legislation in the works in NJ, NY, Michigan, California and many other states as well to ban microbeads. 

 

The township’s  Director, of the Department of Water Pollution Control, Richard Watson replied to us on email with the following response, in June 2014.

 

“I have consulted with our onsite laboratory staff and they have indicated that to date, they have not seen any evidence of microbeads in our TSS sampling residue or during microscopic examination of the wastewater.  I have requested that the lab personnel pay particular attention to these analyses to determine whether there exists a problem now (it does not appear to be a problem at this time) and whether problems develop once Salvona begins operations.

 

During our initial permitting investigations into the Salvona operations (at an existing operating facility), our industrial coordinator noted that  Salvona attempts to recover as much product as possible during production, and  during subsequent cleaning and maintenance operations. Salvona indicated that they will have filters on their floor drains to control the discharge of the microbeads to the Hamilton Wastewater Collection System At the time of the preliminary inspection, they were not sure what size (diameter) product they would be making (apparently it varies by market demand) or the size of the filter openings in the floor drains. I have asked the industrial coordinator to follow-up with Salvona to obtain the filter sizes.  (remember this statement in bold as we progress into this article)

 

New Jersey currently does not specifically prohibit discharge of this material (it is treated as a suspended solid).  Assembly Bill A3083 would require regulation of this material but this bill is currently in the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee review.” 

 

We will mention that in 2014, Salvona clearly demonstrated on their corporate web site the size of the microbeads they planned to manufacture. However, the Hamilton leadership was  unaware of what sizes would be manufactured. 

 

Governor Christie this past week signed a bill that makes NJ the second state in the USA to ban microbeads.  There are many other states in the USA working on similar legislation.  The new law will force manufacturers of microbeads to halt all production of microbeads by 2018.  The Department of Environmental Protection has not released information on the execution of this bill, but it’s forthcoming.  The bill also will prohibit the companies from selling any products starting in 2019 that contain any type of microbeads in the state of NJ.

 

We followed up with Mr. Watson at the Township of Hamilton after the new law was passed this week by Governor Christie.  We asked if he had obtained the filter size information from Salvona during their inspection, prior to allowing the company to commence manufacture of their microbeads.  His response was extremely disturbing.

 

“We will be following up on the filters the next time that we visit the Salvona site. The provisions of the A-3083 law do not begin to take effect until January 2018; the NJDEP has also not issued any regulations concerning this law as yet.  We will address the issue when required “ replied Mr Rich Watson, Director, Department of Water Pollution Control,Hamilton Township, New Jersey. So in essence they did not do this during the inspection prior to the site opening and commencing manufacture of the microbeads. This is grossly unacceptable. 

 

We have also reached out to Salvona with the following questions. They have not responded at this time.

 

 1.  What changes will Salvona be implementing in their business to abide by this new ruling? Will you keep your business here in NJ now that this law has been passed?

 

2. What TSS sampling has been done in conjunction with the Township of Hamilton to ensure that there is no residue currently entering the wastewater. Do you have copies of those reports?

 

3. How many times were samples performed with the twp of Hamilton? What were the dates of the samplings?

 

4. What size filter are you currently utilizing at your facility?

 

It is critical that these issues be properly addressed by the leadership of towns to ensure the public safety of the residents. Haphazard economic development is detrimental to residents, the enviroment and the well being of a town. We will be following up with the DEP and Governor Christie with our concerns on the handling by the Township.