Pollution Threatens New Jersey's Lake Hopatcong

[NJSquatch]

Swung by the crime scene on the way home and snapped a few pics. Damn iPhone makes the water look better than it actually is. High tech boom isn't going to stop the sediment from being washed into the lake but is good at catching pollen!

What I don't understand other than politics at play how the Weldon operation isn't shut down until the problem is remedied. A surface boom won't do anything for sub surface toxic particulates. Oil and or diesel yes, sediment no. I'm sure the party line is water measurements are within safety standards but the coloration of the water coming from the picture with the pipe seems pretty saturated with sediment.

I also heard, but can't confirm, early on DEP worked with Weldon to install a filtration system downstream to filter out the crystalline silica before it emptied into the lake. Was told they underestimated the amount of silica in the water and the filtration system failed. Can't confirm but could have been part of the reason for the apparent delay addressing the issue.

One business causing the problem, an entire lake and ecosystem at risk, operation should be shut down until it is deemed 100% safe. Those pictures don't suggest that. Big business and their attorneys, government and their insistence on moving at a snails pace and lack of true accountability and the average person takes it on the chin again.

Environmental clean ups are huge cluster &*^%#, hope this one has a happy ending but either way right now this quarry should be forced to cease operations and the public outcry and media coverage should be relentless in that pursuit.

[Rich196]

Originally Posted by NJSquatch

Tim C. (from news story) and Lou (concerned lake advocates.) are on this. I emailed Tim over the weekend and got the following from him regarding this thread:

"Apparently the NBC bit got some people’s attention. Fri. AM there were 9 vehicles streamside from all different DEP Dept. along w/ Weldon rep and their attorney. They finally walked the length of the stream and took water and soils samples. They saw evidence from last year’s oil spill that we have also been reporting in the stream and placed an absorbent boom to catch any. This is really the beginning of the process. First analysis of impact (spawning areas, macro organisms, disruption to the food chain, etc). I imagine some long overdue containment measures will be implemented while that is going on."

"I believe they will look to clean up the stream (look at Spruce Run 2017 incident). I hope where there’s evidence of thick sludge on the lake bed (minimally in the cove) that they will develop some restoration plan, but we’re just guessing at this point. Spruce Run took 4 months but this isn’t as big, but they sprang into action in 3 days there, they didn’t start a meaningful investigation here for 11 weeks. I think everyone I talked to Friday seemed like they were as concerned as me and I believe thing will start now but there’ll be a lot of meeting and planning and KDC will not be included but hopefully I can get sense of progress from contacts. I imagine Jefferson & Lake Hopatcong Commission will have to be given updates. The reports of fish kills were not related. Just typical winter kills that float up after ice out. One day we saw about a dozen fresh killed sunfish and blue gills that could have been from this, but that is all I would attribute to this. But all macro invertebrates (grass shrimp, snails, crayfish, etc) are smothered and any fish eggs laid will most likely not be viable because lake bed is like talcum powder. F&W was well represented and I have confidence in them. I still can’t explain why this was handled so poorly from the outset, huge thanks to Brian Thompson and NBC for shining a light on this."

Location of the stream entering the lake

THATS GREAT NEWS. Thank you for the update.

[Drossi]

Not to understate the issue but that size of flow going into a body of water as big as LH can't be many parts per million across the water mass of such a big lake. Where is the offending stream entering LH? Is that the one that runs under Rt 15 and enters into the back water cove?

[Charlie B]

North end of the lake by Prospect Point Rd.

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by Drossi

Not to understate the issue but that size of flow going into a body of water as big as LH can't be many parts per million across the water mass of such a big lake. Where is the offending stream entering LH? Is that the one that runs under Rt 15 and enters into the back water cove?

Location of the stream entering the lake

Originally Posted by Drossi

Not to understate the issue but that size of flow going into a body of water as big as LH can't be many parts per million across the water mass of such a big lake. Where is the offending stream entering LH? Is that the one that runs under Rt 15 and enters into the back water cove?

If I lived in the area, I'd have a concern about any level of toxic water being disposed of in a lake I eat fish from or my family swims in. More of a concern would be the amount of silica which appears in the News 4 video becoming airborne. If you read up on crystalline silica, it's extremely toxic when inhaled and only a small amount is needed to cause permanent scaring in the lung tissue which will inevitably lead to lung cancer. There are serious health risks associated with this stuff. That doesn't even address the impact this will have on property values in the area. How does Weldon plan on compensating the residents of the area regarding all potential adverse effects, they surround themselves with a team of attorneys. That's the first sign the problem is greater than what the public is being lead to believe.

If the water discharge meets all safety standards, how about the Officers and Directors of Weldon drink that water at their next Board Meeting.

Ask the residents of Pompton Lakes what Dupont and their PR machine have been telling them for 50 or more years and the havoc that environmental issue caused and is still causing to the town and it's residents today.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Drossi

Not to understate the issue but that size of flow going into a body of water as big as LH can't be many parts per million across the water mass of such a big lake. Where is the offending stream entering LH? Is that the one that runs under Rt 15 and enters into the back water cove?

i thought the same thing dude, but people are seeing high numbers of big hybrid stripers and walleye dead all over the lake, as far as henderson....that's not normal at all...that is not a normal winter kill of panfish and whatnot.

[Drossi]

Originally Posted by dakota560

If the water discharge meets all safety standards, how about the Officers and Directors of Weldon drink that water at their next Board Meeting.
.

That should be the 1st condition of any proposed settlement their lawyers propose.

[Drossi]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

i thought the same thing dude, but people are seeing high numbers of big hybrid stripers and walleye dead all over the lake, as far as henderson....that's not normal at all...that is not a normal winter kill of panfish and whatnot.

Which begs to reason how long this discharge has been going on. They better do some serious water quality tests before they open the lake up for swimming this summer. The fish kills indicate something isn't right.