It will come from the old New Jersey Rubber Co. on Arlington Street, now referred to in city discussions as 100 Arlington St.
The city owns the property, having taken it for nonpayment of
$400,000 in taxes. Its intent is to raze the structures and put the
property back on the market.
Before the city can do that, it must remove any hazardous waste,
including the asbestos. There is so much of the latter that engineers
can't determine what else there is underground that may be hazardous.
This is not an issue that has come before the City Council.
The city's plan became known when it was presented to the Board of Health, which supervises the landfill.
The request to the board was that the city be allowed to go before
the Department of Environmental Protection for approval of the plan.
The board granted the request in a 2-1 vote, with Dr. Joseph H.
Nates opposed. He noted that there already are landfills established
elsewhere for disposal of such materials.
He called the city's plan "stupid."
Executive Director Jeanine Aniello Flaherty warned that it would
limit further use of the landfill. She apparently had in mind the
council considering a transfer station or composting facility to
replace the landfill when it closes.
As for harmful effects to public health, the board was told by a
representative of the DEP that there would be none as long as the site
was isolated and properly maintained.
There is an option for the city for disposing of the asbestos, as was pointed out by Nates.
It can be taken out of the city to landfills set up to handle such
materials. This would mean an additional cost of the city, which would
have to hire a contractor to demolish the structures.
Using the landfill as a burial site would save money, but at what
cost to the neighbors who live near the landfill and who have tolerated
its operation and odors for years?
A football field piled six feet high with asbestos isn't very
appealing to anyone, especially when there is some other place that
will take the hazardous material.
The city should rethink this whole idea.
