Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-December 16, 2009 Issue

Ramsey December 16, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Mayor to residents: Borough did not violate drinking water regulations In a Dec. 8 letter to borough residents, Ramsey Mayor Christopher Botta asserted that the borough “has worked closely with state agencies to comply with the NJDEP’s (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s) revised Drinking Water Standard for arsenic, a naturally occurring element in some groundwater sources. As a result, there were no violations of any drinking water regulations by the borough.” The mayor’s letter was issued in response to a Dec. 8 article in the New York Times, entitled “Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show.” The article addressed the presence of arsenic, radioactive substance, and bacteria in some municipalities’ water supplies, and states that Ramsey was not fined for violations. In a telephone interview last week, Mayor Botta stated, “There were no fines because there have never been any violations. We have been very proactive in treatment. We send out a statement (to residents about water quality) each summer.” He added that the borough’s water department is regulated. “We must comply with state requirements, and we do.” In his letter, Botta pointed out, “The NJDEP’s Arsenic Drinking Water Standard was lowered from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb. This…drinking water standard is more stringent than the present federal standard of 10 ppb. It must be noted that borough arsenic levels were never above the federal standard. The borough had sent public notices informing water customers that in the past, prior to implementation of these…standards by the NJDEP, there had been average levels of arsenic in some of Ramsey’s wells above the new lower State Drinking Water Standard. When the new standards went into place, non-compliant wells were shut down by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) or NJDEP for any violations, because there never were any violations (emphasis supplied) of Safe Drinking Water standards.” Last year, Ramsey concluded “a multi-phase construction project of treatment systems at a number of our well water supply facilities in order to address the arsenic in these water sources,” the letter states. “Routine and regular monitoring of the water supply indicates that the treatment is continuing to successfully reduce arsenic levels in the water below the more stringent NJDEP standard.” Botta’s letter also notes that the borough’s water supply meets all federal and state standards with regard to tetrachloroethylene, and the borough regularly tests for this and other compounds. The mayor called the news article “reckless, misleading and fact-deficient.” He said residents may learn more about the borough’s water quality on Ramsey’s website, ramseynj.com and may call borough hall at (201) 825-3400 for additional information. Gifts of hope The Ramsey Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 155 sponsored a Toys for Tots gift collection at the Ramsey Interstate Shopping Center. Pictured in uniform are PBA members Adam Macaluso, Brian Lyman, Anthony Fiore and Adam Szelag. Macaluso, Lyman and Szelag were previously in the United State Marine Corps. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community as a message of hope. Christmas T & Wreaths rees • Finest premium trees and wreaths • Best prices in the area November 27 – December 23 Weekday 3pm-10pm Weekend 10am-10pm Ramapo College Baseball Field All proceeds to benefit Ramapo College Baseball Delivery Available �� We Now Carry 9-2-09 joan/janine BestBikes2x(9-2-09) 2 x 2.5” Correction FOR 11-11-09 FROM ALLISON Available in Mahwah store only �� 11-25-09 joan/janine RamapoCollegeBaseball2x2(11-25-09) �� 2 x 2” � �� Coupons not accepted for Ugg purchases ��