Media Release
Contact FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kevin C. Rabago, Sr.
(856) 451-3407
BRIDGETON TACKLES CLEARING,
CAPPING, RECLAIMING OLD LANDFILL IN CITY PARK
For Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly it was 12 years in the
making but this week, he and City officials were finally able to give the
go-ahead for Ricky Slade Construction to begin the process of clearing and
capping the old landfill in Bridgeton City Park with an eye toward reclaiming
the site for green space and passive recreation.
“When I first took office in 2010, one of the things I
came across was a community visioning report where residents expressed their
desire to open what they called ‘Mt. Trashmore’ for recreational use. That, stayed
with me and I took on the task of reclaiming the space for some type of community
recreation use and we’re finally able to do that” said Kelly.
The DEP-approved landfill closure comes in at a cost of $1.7
million and will include installation of soil erosion control devices and clearance
of old vegetation from the landfill itself. Once the clearing is completed, a 1-foot
thick layer of low permeability fill material will be compacted into place over
the entire landfill and the last step in the process will see installation of a
six inch layer of top soil that will be fertilized and seeded.
This last step in the process will also have the side
slopes of the landfill covered with erosion control matting which, according to
the City’s engineering consultant firm Fralinger Engineering, will increase
soil stabilization and allow new vegetation to effectively take root. The final thickness of the landfill cap will
be a minimum of 2’ thick- which includes 6” of existing landfill cover
material.
According to City officials, the entire process from
clearing to installing soil erosion control devices to the application of the
various layers to the required thicknesses is expected to be completed within 120
days.
From here, Kelly and City officials will focus on the
adaptive reuse of the 28-acre site seeing it as a catalyst for both a renewed
focus on the system of trails within City Park, but also as an opportunity to
explore various passive recreation options including bike trails and as a
nature preserve.
“We are mindful of the value in the area’s natural
resource potential. The approximately 60-acres of environmentally sensitive
land along the Cohansey River corridor provides one of the great assets to the
Park and we want to manage that asset while making it open and accessible-
transforming ‘Mt. Trashmore’ into something the public can use and enjoy,”
Kelly said.
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