Last June, Carl Leppin and Dave Liebgold of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Land Use Management Department noticed “a green liquid” apparently being pumped into a storm sewer on Oehler Place in Carlstadt.
Leppin, a long time Secaucus fisherman and lover of the environment, had uncovered environmental problems in past, and reported the matter to his superior. Senior Engineer Ralph Venturini in turn reported the incident to the Division of Criminal Justice, who launched a full-scale investigation.
The investigation of the matter by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Emergency Response team determined that employees of the Tunnel Barrel & Drum Company in Carlstadt allegedly had dumped potentially toxic materials into Berry’s Creek in the Meadowlands, materials that inevitably flowed down into the Hackensack River to which the creek was connected.
On Nov. 14, Anthony Urcioli, the owner of the company, pled guilty to the charge of polluting the water with drums from his cleaning operations, agreeing to pay $25,000 in fines and to donate $10,000 to the Hackensack Riverkeeper Program for environmental education.
“This is the third time the state attorney general given us a stipulated donation,” Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan said. “I believe the Attorney General’s Office has a level of comfort with us, and I consider this a vote of confidence for us to keep up the work that we’ve been doing.”
Riverkeeper is part of a nationwide non-profit group that protects the waterways.
Sheehan singled out Leppin as someone who had a special love of the environment.
“Carl’s a really great guy,” Sheehan said.
In 1996, Leppin was responsible for reporting of several freshwater ponds buried during the construction of the Secaucus Transfer Station.
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission also heaped praise on the two men for their dedicated duty.
“Gov. McGreevey and I commend these NJMC employees for their commitment to making the Meadowlands a healthier and safer place in which to live,” said Susan Bass Levin, NJMC Chairman and Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “For too long, careless individuals and companies have dumped on New Jersey’s natural treasures. Gov. McGreevey and I are committed to building a better New Jersey by reducing environmental pollution, and these remarkable employees went above and beyond the call of duty to do just that.”
In another case, NJMC Conservation Officers Robert Segro and Frank Copola conducted an investigation of reports of tire dumping in Moonachie and Rutherford. The information they gathered helped the Division of Criminal Justice obtain a state grand jury indictment on Dec. 3, 2003 against Ellsworth Baily and Bruce Hargrove.
Baily, with Hargrove’s assistance, allegedly stole two different trailers and used them to dump hundreds of tires in the Meadowlands. The indictment accuses Baily and Hargrove of criminal mischief and receiving stolen property.
“We are proud of the work all of our NJMC employees do, but it is especially pleasing when their vigilance and professionalism leads to cleaner Meadowlands,” said NJMC Executive Director Robert Ceberio.