![Toll Brothers Orchard Ridge [Preserve] - The Environmental Damage Continues](https://i0.wp.com/citizens4usr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/My-Post.jpg?fit=850%2C567&ssl=1)
It clearly was to much to hope that the continued environmental damage that Toll Brothers has unleashed on Upper Saddle River, Mahwah, Saddle River and downstream residents has finished.
Despite over 700 days of continued pumping, runoff and no sanctions or penalties Upper Saddle River and Mahwah enacted a Stop Work Order in July 23, 2019 forcing Toll Brothers to take action to stop storm water runoff and pumping of collected water from their tanks into the Pleasant Brook. And it appeared they did comply with many of the requirements. The pumping stopped and rain events produced little runoff.
Until January 3, 2020 when stormwater runoff was observed and Pleasant Brook and Pleasant Pond turned brown again – after so many months.
Residents photographed stormwater runoff in the streets and also the stream and brook. On Friday January 3, 2020 the brook turned brown.
And on Saturday January 4, 2020.
When the town administrators are not available.
Convenient?
A Coincidence?
You decide.
Knowing that the mayor and council of Upper Saddle River, NJDEP and others did nothing about the months and months of continued environmental damage Toll Brother caused they once again have continued to flaunt the rules. And will get away with it.
The mayor and council are still asleep.
The borough engineer Boswell engineering was asleep. Where was their representative who was supposed to be checking the site after rain events?
And what about the Upper Saddle River Environmental Committee who have been missing throughout this entire episode.
Once again Toll Brothers does what they want and nothing is done.
![Toll Brothers Orchard Ridge [Preserve] - The Environmental Damage Continues](https://i0.wp.com/citizens4usr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/81395713_2587469811306149_8364626672145661952_n.jpg?resize=640%2C853&ssl=1)
![Toll Brothers Orchard Ridge [Preserve] - The Environmental Damage Continues](https://i0.wp.com/citizens4usr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/81078397_2587469691306161_2639138703380840448_n.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Toll Brothers Orchard Ridge [Preserve] - The Environmental Damage Continues](https://i0.wp.com/citizens4usr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/81184517_2587469891306141_6103769798930333696_n.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
![Toll Brothers Orchard Ridge [Preserve] - The Environmental Damage Continues](https://i0.wp.com/citizens4usr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/81481884_2587470004639463_615285856499924992_n.jpg?resize=640%2C480&ssl=1)
Images: Derek Michalski
Read the history of the Toll Brothers damage to Upper Saddle River and the local environment.
It’s a disgrace. The borough officials should be embarrassed. Rather than take citizen’s concerns seriously, they have done the opposite. And the environmental committee should just disbanded, because, what is their actual purpose, if they sit in silence on an issue of this magnitude?
Completely agree. The environmental committee should have been monitoring this all along, but haven’t. And the mayor and council claim to love the town, but have not only allowed to continue for months with no fines, penalties, or even strong words. What is wrong with them? And yet, they get voted in, again.
Thanks for your comment.
The Mayor and Council continue to reward bad behavior by awarding Boswell Engineering the contract to supervise Hidden Glen Rd. Road improvements. ($72,000 contract).
Here is some food for thought, the deal structured between Upper Saddle River and
Toll Brothers when the work stoppage was called back in July required Toll Brothers(among other things) to
Remediate Pleasant Brook which ran along their property. What about the rest of Pleasant
Brook? It is a disgrace what is going on? I don’t care how many water tests were done.
The damage continues!!
Clearly the fix they put in place hasn’t worked, or they have undone it….too much water in the tanks perhaps with hard ground. And the clean up of Pleasant Brook is limited to what is on their property only which is interesting. And we still haven’t seen the website with all the reassuring information. And the mayor and council, and borough engineer just let it go with no follow up.
Back in August of 2019 our USR municipal government promised the following: “[…] a website and phone numbers which will be made available to the residents regarding the project. This way all concerns can be addressed quickly by Toll. This will be made public in the next few days as they are making sure the phone and website are operational.” https://www.usrtoday.org/2019/07/23/stop-work-order-toll-brothers/
Yes, they said that after they met with Toll Brothers (in private) and there was going to be transparency for town residents. So transparent it is invisible as there has been nothing. It does leave a question of what has Toll Brothers given or hold over them for such silence?
Heavy rains expected tonight and tomorrow again on a weekend when borough officials are not around. We had Some brown water in Saddle River again early January but nothing like it has been in the past. Just waiting for our Wells to turn poisonous in Saddle River, it is just a matter of time unfortunately.
Yes, this is a serious concern. Apparently some wells have been testing with higher levels than usual. And it is interesting that the pumping just happened to be done on the weekend. Coincidence? Of course not. Thanks for taking the time to comment.