Pollution Threatens New Jersey's Lake Hopatcong

[Drossi]

Originally Posted by dakota560

Cutting, grinding and or polishing granite can have serious health impacts. Granite contains a mineral known as crystalline silica which when cut and if inhaled causes serious health risks, primarily scarring in the lungs that leads to lung cancer along with other adverse side effects. To help prevent the crystalline from becoming airborne, water filtration is used to mitigate the risk. Apparently that water is what's being discharged into Lake Hopatcong as the Weldon quarry located near Woodport is a granite site. Unconscionable in this day and age with environmental awareness that would be allowed especially in New Jersey's largest lake community but I'm sure like everything else money and politics are involved.

Was walleye fishing on the big lake last night and came across a gentleman who has lived on the lake for 50 years. Told me he's seen hundreds of dead sunnies, bluegills and golden shiners recently, first time he's ever seen that number of dead fish in a concentrated area. I saw a half dozen myself throughout the night and as mentioned water was more murky than normal. Don't know it that was a result of the rain we had yesterday but have to wonder if it has anything to do with this quarry disposing of essentially toxic waters into the lake.

Called DEP but I'd hope they're already aware of the issue, waiting to hear back. Asked the gentlemen I spoke to last night to do the same so hopefully he does since he has the information where the fish kill was observed. If this has a negative impact on the herring population or egg production in the lake, the impacts will be significant.

Waste water discharge and control should be a part of the quarries DEP operating permit. Failure to comply and re mediate is grounds for shut down of operations.

[NJSquatch]

Glad to see the news finally picked up the story. I sent it into News 12 NJ put they ignored it. I have been helping Tim C. (shown in the story) with aerial mapping of the quarry.

The big issue is that the quarry is located in Hopatcong Borough but pollutes Jefferson Township residents to the south. Jefferson and its residents are powerless to do anything except complain. The DEP is very slow to react and Hopatcong isn't going to upset its biggest tax source @ $500,000.

More News articles from the Jefferson newspaper
http://www.thejeffersonchronicle.com...ation-problem/

http://www.thejeffersonchronicle.com...quarry-issues/

http://www.thejeffersonchronicle.com...ake-hopatcong/

[bunker dunker]

when i started fishing there this year at ice out you could see the bottom clear as day.now you cant see a yellow jig 1 ft under the water.
l

Could anyone with knowledge of the Weldon Quarry situation and efforts being made to address the pollution run off of crystalline silica into Lake Hopatcong provide an update. Reason I ask is I was up three times this past week at night chasing walleye and the amount of dead fish I saw was alarming. I understand there's always some fish kill (mostly pan fish) coming out of winter but have witnessed and heard reports from reliable sources of a number of large walleye, large mouths, hybrids, small mouths dead in and around Henderson Bay. Also saw more than the normal amount of dead fish at the Windlass the other night including walleye, yellow perch and a few hybrids. Water continues to be very off color. Whether it's pollen or crystalline silica from the quarry is the question. Fish don't die from pollen so the numbers people have reported seeing of game fish are concerning me about the extent of the problem and more important what steps are being taken to address it.

I've looked on line and found no updates other than the initial News 4 link posted here which concerns me more there might be a larger problem being kept quiet. If this clouded water is run off from the quarry, stays on the surface and effects the herring spawn, the lake will suffer consequences for years. Since this supposedly started in February, how Weldon is still operating is a question I would think everyone would be interested being answered.

Anyone else seeing signs of fish kill or with updates on efforts being taken to address the Weldon quarry issue would be appreciated.

For anyone interested, attached image is the crap being dumped into Lake Hopatcong. Tell me any fish inhaling this stuff in their gills will survive. How many 2019 fry will survive ingesting these microscopic particulates.....none. Like I said, my biggest concern is this spans the entire water column and if so effecting every fishery in the lake. If adult herring die during the spawn this year or eggs don't survive, the damage to Lake Hopatcong will be irreparable.

Attached article discussed health risks associated with crystalline silica and silicosis.

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/sili...ts_silica.html

Shame NJ and Governor Murphy allows the state's largest lake to become a cesspool for big business.

[Charlie B]

It does seem odd that there was that one story and then no new updates...Charlie

[Chrisper4694]

I just want to know if the KDC and Dow's knows about this and how serious it is or appears to be and if appropriate actions are being taken? or do we need to start something going? what is going on with this? I'm going to swing into dows and try to find out or call Laurie.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by dakota560

Could anyone with knowledge of the Weldon Quarry situation and efforts being made to address the pollution run off of crystalline silica into Lake Hopatcong provide an update. Reason I ask is I was up three times this past week at night chasing walleye and the amount of dead fish I saw was alarming. I understand there's always some fish kill (mostly pan fish) coming out of winter but have witnessed and heard reports from reliable sources of a number of large walleye, large mouths, hybrids, small mouths dead in and around Henderson Bay. Also saw more than the normal amount of dead fish at the Windlass the other night including walleye, yellow perch and a few hybrids. Water continues to be very off color. Whether it's pollen or crystalline silica from the quarry is the question. Fish don't die from pollen so the numbers people have reported seeing of game fish are concerning me about the extent of the problem and more important what steps are being taken to address it.

I've looked on line and found no updates other than the initial News 4 link posted here which concerns me more there might be a larger problem being kept quiet. If this clouded water is run off from the quarry, stays on the surface and effects the herring spawn, the lake will suffer consequences for years. Since this supposedly started in February, how Weldon is still operating is a question I would think everyone would be interested being answered.

Anyone else seeing signs of fish kill or with updates on efforts being taken to address the Weldon quarry issue would be appreciated.

This is not a normal winter fish kill guys...

[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

Duane thanks for the detailed update and thanks for your replies over the weekend. I spoke with Tim yesterday and everything mentioned in your post is essentially what we discussed. It appears there was a miscommunication or some type of oversight on NJDEP's end which caused the delay initially(however that's possible) but Tim felt confident the matter is now being addressed with the urgency it demands. Unfortunate for the delay, better late than never. I hope in the process of addressing the waste water discharge they address the air borne particulates as well which are equally if not more of a health risk to homeowners in that area.