Polluted Drinking Water: Tenafly, NJ, 07670 PETROCHEMCALS

I was almost felled by the stench of gasoline and or other varietites of petrochemicals that were leaking into the Tenakill Brook, Tenafly, NJ 07670, heading directly to United Water, where our town's water is processed for drinking, bathing and other uses in our homes. This is truly dangerous; a carcinogen and deadly. If the fumes were sufficient to make me feel faint, what happens when some of these chemicals remain in the water and we ingest them? Would you feed your baby, toddler, adolescent gasoline? Would you drink it and would you give it to an ill or elderly person. Clean our waterway and stop dumping these chemicals into the Tenakill Brook. Now that we have rid ourselves of geese let us turn to the pollutants that befoul and poison our water.

ALERT: Again, Pollution in Tenafly, Bergen County, N.J.

Seen on Monday August 22, 2011, in the Tenakill Brook. Petrochemicals floating on the surface. The Tenakill Brook is a feeding stream that United Water uses as a source of water for Bergen County. These chemicals are harmful to the environment and even trace amounts in drinking water have serious potential for contributing to myriad diseases, such as cancers and possibly to autism. Where do the petro--chemicals come from? It is said that people pour such matter into sewers. Is this true? Perhaps some of it leaks from gas stations , but a considerable amount is on roadways, where trucks leak gasoline as do cars. This washes into roadway drains, and thence feed into streams, such as The Tenakill Brook. What can be done to solve the problem? Surely, not acknowledging that a problem exists is not a solution.

The petrochemicals are visible in the slick areas, where grey matter is visible.

The measure that is visible in the first picture was introduced to record water levels. It was never used, apparently, and over years has declined to the right and has long been a collector of debris that has accumulated around it. It has been noted. When Rutgers University sent teams to study water in Tenafly for pollutants, in particular E Coli, the measure was pointed out to them, but it was not removed. It was also brought to the attention of Tenafly and it still remains in place. Why?

Tenafly Commons: Pollution in Bergen County, 07670

Tenafly has grown a barrier around its Pond to hide pollution, I believe. Originally the idea was to prevent water fowl, that may carry the bacterium e coli from swimming in the Pond by planting bushes and flowers around the pond's perimeter. But the fowl are long gone, eaten by hawks and killed by chemicals and other pollutants in the water. What Tenafly has lost is its Pond, one of the most charming aspects of The Commons, the one park where old and young, visitors and residents, could relax and recreate. When I moved to Tenafly in the early 1970s a few ducks swam in the water in the spring and summer and in the winter the pond froze, making it a lovely natural skating area, used by many of the families of Tenafly. It gave the town an old- fashioned "homey" feel that has been lost as more and more fenced in areas have taken away what was once a the pastoral, the ideal of the greater garden designer Frederick Law Olmsted.

The town residents were never told or consulted about the municipal government's plans for the Pond. But now its policty is apparent. Plants and trees sown in fall 2010 that are inhospitable have completely encircled the pond and threaten to make the pond a marsh as the plants advance into the water. Trees resembling locusts are covered with piercing thorns; wild asters are rampant. Lovely to look at in the early fall, when blossoming, the asters are a menace once the flowers drop and the seeds appear. These too are sharp and attach to clothing and to fur. The height of all these plants is astounding and the pond now can only be viewed from bridges at the east and west ends of the pond. (It is ironic that Tenafly's presence on the Web shows the Pond with cherry trees in bloom and the water clearly visible from all sides.) Pity the child who wanders into this 6 six- foot high jungle and cannot find a path out. How terrifed that youngster would be, especially if it wandered towards the water and fell into the pond. It could not be seen and its parents would be horrified by what had transpired. In fact the paths are gone that ringed the pond last year. Apparently no thought was given by the Town Council, the Mayor and garden maintenance to what could happen, what dangers existed in this absurd growth. If the aim was to prevent refuse from falling into the pond, the plan has failed. There is refuse at present; the same plastic bags and bottles are still bobbing around in the water and green tennis balls too. The oxygen in the pond is low as algae bloom attests and as always there are chemical flows that can be observed on the water's surface. As the Council and Mayor may know, the wildlife that once lived in the pond is dead and despite the attempt to plant some flowers to "prettify" the greenery, the birds that once lived in the pond area are gone as are the turtles, the fish--except for a few goldfish that were dropped into the pond to give it a semblance of life-- and most notable of all is the loss of butterflies. These have been eaten by carnivorous dragon flies. Yes there are many bees and that is a good thing, but for most persons who would like to look at the water as they were once able to do, the bees will certainly give them pause. Local towns such as Demarest have solved the goose problem and today their waterway, the Tenakill Brook, looks lovely. The government in Demarest planted aroudn the perimeter but did not use overkill to keep the birds at bay. Tenafly has gone over the top and now we truly have a mess that few in Tenafly enjoy. How many people want to see "weeds" where once they could sit at their ease and gaze at the floating world, the water with all its reflections.

Pollution in Tenafly, New Jersey, 07670: wht a surprise

Tenakill Brook, near Middle School. Is this gasoline? It is going up the Tenaill to United Water, the source of our drinking water.

transfiguring what is: art and fact

The Tenakill Brook, Tenafly New Jersey, probably one of the most polluted water sources in Bergen Country, a source that is used by the company United Water to provide water to Tenafly, New Jersey (07670) and other nearby towns, can be transfigured by art, that is its appearance, but the water is no less harmful despite its transcendent aspect thanks to the magic of sunlight.

Tenafly and United Water: pollution in our water system II: the concerned observer, I

On 21 June, 2010, I photographed gasoline and what appear to be "toxic" substances flowing into the Tenakill Brook, Tenafly, New Jersey. This brook feeds water to the United Water Company, the source of tap water for Tenafly and other Bergen County towns. Last year --2009 --the same substances were observed; no change has occurred. We may not see as many geese in Tenafly Commons' Pond, but the water system does not appear to be safe to drink, shower in or cook with. Only scientific testing can determine toxicity. I am not a scientist, merely an observer interested in securing the health of my town and other Bergen County communities.

Take a look.
The first picture locates the bridge at the Tenafly Common's Pond; then follow pictures from the pond to the Tenakill Brook. stream from the sign. The yellow "gunk" was present last year. It is located in the same area that it was seen and photographed between the pond and the large-sized tunnel pipe, a massive pipe. What appears to be gasoline is present beneath the bridge where the Teddy Roosevelt sign is located, having entered this little stream surely from the pond--and its tributaries. All this stuff then flows into the Tenakill Brook.

Pollution in Tenafly, New Jersey: Tenakill Brook, May 23, 2010, part 2

This post shows the confluence of the feeder stream from Chestnut and and Tenafly Road (Tenafly, New Jersey 07670). The milky fluid that was seen flowing from a sewer system into the feeder stream entered the Tenakill Brook, as the pictures above demonstrate. It moved rapidly along the shore of the brook and by 8:11 pm, approximately, it was seen at the bridge spanning that is located near Tenafly Middle School. At that time dusk was turning to darkness and photography was no longer effective, although some pictures were taken for documentary purposes. Obviously, the substance that had entered the sewer system further upstream was no longer as dense, as it was thinned by the water and the current of the brook. The substance appeared to be industrial waste; release of this substance probably stopped after the police and fire engines appeared on the scene. This substance had been observed on days prior to the 23rd when we witnessed it, but the person or persons who had seen it had not officially notified the police department. Once notified, on the 23rd of May, 2010, the Tenafly police and fire departments responded immediately and are to commended for their professionalism.

Some business or industrial entity appears to be using the Tenafly sewer system to rid its premises of noxious products. Using a sewer system is inexpensive, ie free, and likely will not be observed. Yet the cost to the community and the public that uses United Water is great. Chemicals are generally carcinogens. Of course the effects are not directly apparent in most cases, but the long-term effects are deadly. Autism, cancers and numerous other diseases are linked to various chemicals. I do hope that United Water, Bergen County, and other entities or agencies will take this problem seriously and prevent future occurrences using fines, and penalties if need be.
Finally, given our concern about terrorism, is this event not a test for such a catastrophic disaster?