Ridgewood Pays $10K to Settle DEP Lawsuits

Ridgewood taxpayers will be coughing up $10,600 to settle a pair of lawsuits the state's department of environmental protection (DEP) brought against the municipal government.

The settlements relate to a failed Ridgewood Water test in 20111 and also the discovery of a leaking fuel tank at the village's municipal garage facility in 2011.

Ridgewood Water failed to monitor and report a nitrate violation at one of its wells in 2011, according to the resolution approved by the council Wednesday night. The town agreed to pay $3,500 to the DEP as a settlement.

"We do hundreds of tests, probably between 1,200 and 1,500 [a year]," Village Manager Ken Gabbert said, downplaying the incident. "This is literally a test that was not completed. I don't believe there was any personnel action taken in that case. Because of the complexity of the number, it literally just slipped through."

Ridgewood will also pay $7,100 to the DEP after the agency discovered underground fuel tanks had been improperly maintained/stored and leaked during an inspection on Oct. 18, 2011. The Fleet Division Services was cited for failing to perform tests, not having inspection records, and keeping spill buckets free of debris, among other violations.

"In the case of the tank, I don't recall if it was a staff person that caused the leak or if it was something within the tanks themselves that didn't meet the evaluation," Gabbert said.