Mayor& Council Meet on Tues.Aug. 6, 2024 As EPA Toxic Sludge Confirmed

The Harrison Mayor & Council are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at the Harrison Town Hall located at 318 Harrison Avenue, Harrison NJ. It is hoped the meeting will take place in the more spacious Mayor & Council Chambers on the 2nd floor, rather than the smaller Mayor’s Conference Room on the 3rd floor. As of the date of this article, the agenda for the August 6 meeting has not been published. However, there remains a pending agenda from the canceled meeting that was to be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Recent Mayor & Council meetings have seen a surge in resident attendance, with community members actively asking questions, suggesting improvements, and critiquing the town's policies. This participation has led to positive changes in the community's quality of life.

EPA’s Plan For Toxic Sludge for Harrison

A significant concern for residents is the confirmed plan by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to place toxic dioxin-laden sludge at the PSE&G property for dewatering. This issue has sparked controversy in Harrison, two years ago town officials, Mayor James Fife & Harrison Board of Education Director / Councilman of Harrison James Doran assured the public that the EPA had no planned Toxic Sludge Plant in the works despite a clear statement from Mayor Fife to the contrary.

Mayor Fife Inadvertently Revealed A Secret On EPA's Plan

Almost two years ago, on August 29, 2022, Mayor James Fife, it appears inadvertently, confirmed the EPA's plan during a Harrison Redevelopment Meeting, stating, “Of course, you have the biggest piece Public Service, the EPA is holding that up. We were going to do some planning over there but the EPA is going to be using it for the [Passaic] river dredge [aka sludge]. We don’t know how long that is going to be – it could be 10 years. But it is up to EPA and PSE&G (Public Service Electric & Gas) to decide what is going on there.”

Despite this statement, within a month of the statement, Mayor Fife and Councilman James Doran, who is also the Harrison Public School Director and a Passaic County Sewerage Commissioner, denied any such plan. James Doran, Dr. Doran as he likes to be addressed, sent a letter and flyer accusing then-councilman and mayoral candidate Anselmo Millan and local attorney John M. Pinho of lying about the EPA's intentions. Mayor Fife & James Doran’s statements were false, and Mayor Fife's statement from August 2022 was accurate. James Doran lied in furtherance of Mayor Fife’s & Councilmembers on his ticket re-election bid.

EPA Upcoming Meeting Just Days Short of 2nd Anniversary of Mayor Fife’s EPA Statement

Coincidentally, the EPA has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at Harrison High School on Kingsland Avenue. This location is the farthest point from the proposed EPA Toxic Sludge Plant at the PSE&G property, despite the availability of the centrally located Harrison Town Hall Mayor & Council Chambers. This choice of venue has raised eyebrows among residents, who see it as an attempt to limit attendance and discussion about the controversial plan. EPA was asked to move the meeting but has opted to continue with the meeting at its current location.

The conflicting information and the choice of venue for the EPA meeting have heightened residents' concerns. Many plan to attend the August 6 Mayor & Council meeting to demand clarity on where Mayor Fife and Councilman Doran stand on the EPA’s toxic sludge plant.

The fact that Mayor Fife and James Doran have lied to the community regarding this significant environmental challenge has both residents and stakeholders in Harrison’s redevelopment area concerned, to say the least. The upcoming meeting will be a crucial platform for residents to voice their concerns and for the Mayor and Council to address the community's questions directly and truthfully.

As this issue continues to unfold, the residents of Harrison remain vigilant and committed to ensuring that their voices are heard and their community is safeguarded.

What are your thoughts on the subject? We encourage residents to share their views and participate in the upcoming meeting and online to foster an open and constructive dialogue about the future of Harrison.

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